Representatives from 20 area charities accepted checks totaling more than $1 million on Tuesday from donations raised at Mitch Albom’s fifth annual SAY Detroit Radiothon last December.
The ceremony at the Fisher Building included several first-time beneficiaries, including the Bing Youth Institute — a mentoring program for urban youth created by former Detroit Mayor and NBA legend Dave Bing.
Albom, who founded SAY Detroit in 2006, presented the checks to the benefiting charities with Dr. Chad Audi, president of the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, along with representatives of several major donor organizations.
“This is our happiest day of the year, when we can share funding with our hard-working charitable initiatives as well as many worthwhile outside agencies that are doing incredible work to help Detroit’s neediest,” Albom said. “The Radiothon is a gathering of generosity. Today is a spreading of that generosity. On behalf of the 20 charities that will benefit, I deeply thank the people of Michigan who helped us reach this milestone last December. Your kind and generous hearts are what being human is all about.”
Checks were distributed to the following area charities:
- Humble Design: $10,000
- Vista Maria: $5,000
- Jewish Vocational Services: $10,000
- Latin Americans for Social & Economic Development (LA SED Inc.): $10,000
- COTS Bright Beginnings Child Development Center: $10,000
- United Sisters of Charity/Mother Batie’s Kitchen: $7,500
- College for Creative Studies/Detroit Dream Scholars: $30,000
- Westside Cultural & Athletic Club: $10,000
- Veterans Matter: $5,000
- Michigan Veterans Foundation: $10,000
- Cass Community Social Services: $25,000
- Real Life My Music: $7,500
- Working Homes Working Families: $125,000
- DRMM Dignity Project: $10,000
- SASHA Center: $10,000
- Cathedral of St. Anthony: $5,000
- SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic: $300,000
- SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park: $425,000
- Bing Youth Institute: $10,000
- The Salvation Army Monroe Harbor Light-VA: $5,000
Albom on Tuesday also announced the creation of the SAY Detroit Tomorrow Fund, an endowment fund established to help preserve SAY Detroit’s legacy and be a catalyst for new growth. The fund was launched with a $50,000 donation.
Broadcast live over 15 hours on WJR (760AM), the sixth annual Mitch Albom SAY Detroit Radiothon will be held Dec. 7 at the Somerset Collection in Troy.
