Matthew Stafford returns for groundbreaking at SAY Play
On Friday, April 22, Kelly and Matthew Stafford flew to Detroit for the groundbreaking of The Kelly and Matthew Stafford & Friends Education Center, a 15,000-square-foot addition to SAY Play on Detroit’s northeast side. The annex will house additional classrooms, learning labs and an auditorium, to host a growing and diverse range of programming for Detroit children, teens and adults. A special thank you also to A.A. Van Elslander Foundation for their $1 million grant to the expansion.
A Time to Helpers Join Hamtramck Family
More than 30 volunteers from SAY Detroit’s A Time to Help program spent the day cleaning up and landscaping the property of Chowdhury, the elderly cancer patient who was berated by a district court judge earlier this year for his unkempt yard. The volunteers included more than 15 employees from Troy-based KIRCO, a commercial real estate development, construction, and property management organization. We thank the A Time to Help volunteers for creating a wonderful outdoor space for Chowdhury and his neighbors. Our next event is on May 14 at Detroit Goodfellows. Registration will open next week.
SAY Play programming helps bolster student academic success and confidence
SAY Play & Notes for Notes
SAY Play features a Notes for Notes recording studio to help students develop an appreciation, interest and talent in music. Check out the wonderful art the students are creating alongside their teacher Ms. Lolly Tolbert. The Notes for Notes program at SAY Play has provided 302 sessions with 84 unique students since the beginning of January.
Meet the people of SAY Play
Tia Campbell, 15, only joined SAY Play in January but is already standing out as a leader among her peers. A 10th grader at L’Ance Creuse High School, Tia likes her English classes best and enjoys reading and writing in her free time. Since her most challenging subject is chemistry, it’s the main focus during her Next Day study sessions.
With the help of her favorite tutor, Mr. Austin, her class grade has jumped two letter grades!
Tia enjoys the community atmosphere of SAY Play. “The students, tutors and volunteers are really welcoming. I started the program a lot later than most of the students,” she explains, “but I’ve been able to build a lot of friendships.”
“I really want to be an activist for Black empowerment, environmentally friendly movements, helping troubled youth, and LGBTQ+ rights.” shared Tia.
Malcolm McCants is the Director of Education at SAY Play. Malcolm develops educational programming for all students (8-18 years old). And just because his role is to educate the students, it doesn’t mean they don’t teach him a thing or two! Malcolm reflects that the students inspire him to listen more carefully and be more patient with others and himself.
He has seen student’s struggle, but he’s also witnessed their resilience as they work hard to achieve their academic goals. One student stands out in his memory. A fifth-grader named Gerard struggled with motivation. He had a hard time focusing and finishing his homework. But with the consistent support and routine, Gerard now comes into the Next Day study sessions confident and ready to learn.
Reading is the foundation for all learning
Did you see the article in the Detroit Free Press on April 18, 2022 highlighting the SAY Play Rhymes with Reason literacy program? If you didn’t, check it out!
Radiothon Distribution Day
SAY Detroit celebrated its community partnership on April 13 with the ceremony, presented virtually by SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom, distributing the $1.6 million raised from donations at the 10th Annual SAY Detroit Radiothon in December of 2021. Small and large organizations throughout Detroit are united by the idea of helping others, and the joy and collaboration are on display in this brief highlight reel!
SAY Detroit annually shares a percentage of donations from the Radiothon to partner organizations and charities that share SAY Detroit’s mission to help Detroit’s neediest citizens.
Brown Bag Popcorn Mother’s Day Sale
Show mom how much you care with popcorn that’s more than delicious, and raises funds for SAY Detroit, with 100% of profits helping other moms in need with health care, child care, education, housing, and economic opportunity. Brown Bag Popcorn’s handcrafted Mama’s Strawberry Shortcake is back for a limited time and on sale online and in store.
Use coupon code FORMOMS2022 to save an extra 10% on your order at brownbagpopcorn.com through April 30, the last day to order for delivery by Mother’s Day.