Mar 28, 2019 | News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit
Representatives from nearly two dozen area charities received checks today totaling more than $1.25 million from donations raised at the seventh annual SAY Detroit Radiothon, broadcast on WJR-AM last December.
The distribution ceremony at the Fisher Building, an annual event since the Radiothon’s inception, included several first-time recipients, including Avalon Village, FoodLab Detroit, Yad Ezra, A Beautiful Me, and Building Better Men.
Mitch Albom, who founded SAY Detroit in 2006, presented the checks with Dr. Chad Audi, president of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, as well as representatives from several major donor organizations. Members of SAY Detroit’s Board of Directors also participated in celebrating the efforts of various local charitable organizations.
“Today we share the generosity of the wonderful people and companies in Metro Detroit,” Albom said. “Thanks to them, we broke our previous Radiothon record. This enables us to operate our numerous SAY Detroit initiatives. And, as per our tradition, we share a chunk of this generosity with other organizations, large and small, who, like us, are dedicated to helping Detroit’s neediest.”
Since its first broadcast in 2012, the annual Radiothon has raised over $5.7 million to help the poor, the homeless, families without houses, children and mothers without medical care, students hoping to reach the college of their dreams, and veterans who have hit hard times.
The 2019 SAY Detroit Radiothon will be held Dec. 12th at The Somerset Collection mall in Troy.
2018 RADIOTHON CHARITY DISTRIBUTION:
- Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries Women and Children’s Shelter, $50,000
- College for Creative Studies/Detroit Dream Scholars, $30,000
- Cass Community Social Services, $25,000
- SASHA Center, $12,500
- Bing Youth Institute, $10,000
- DRMM Genesis House II, $10,000
- Humble Design, $10,000
- Westside Cultural & Athletic Club, $10,000
- COTS / Bright Beginnings Day Care Program, $10,000
- Michigan Veterans Foundation, $10,000
- LA SED INC, $10,000
- Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries Teen Day Care, $10,000
- Notes for Notes, $7,500
- Mother Batie’s Kitchen/United Sisters of Charity, $7,500
- D2N/EVO Detroit, $5,000
- Buckets of Rain, $5,000
- *St. Luke AME / A Hole in the Roof Foundation, $5,000
- *Avalon Village, $5,000
- *Food Lab, $5,000
- *A Beautiful Me, $5,000
- *Yad Ezra, $5,000
- *Building Better Men, $5,000
SAY DETROIT INITIATIVES:
* Denotes 1st time recipient
Dec 6, 2018 | News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit
For the fourth year in a row, the SAY Detroit Radiothon broke the $1 million dollar mark in funds raised during a marathon 15-hour broadcast. Held Thursday, December 6 in the North Grand Court at the Somerset Collection in Troy, the radiothon was broadcast live on WJR 760AM and streamed across the web at www.mitchalbomradiothon.com, clickondetroit.com, wjr.com, freep.com and on Facebook. In its seventh year, the Radiothon has raised over $4.5 million, including a record $1,261,000 in donations in 2017.
“The thing that strikes me the most is the continued kindness that surrounds this effort from the people who let us use Somerset, to the volunteers who work the phone banks, to all the celebrities, sports figures and entertainers who agree year after year to come on, to all the people who continue to donate,” said Albom, who founded SAY Detroit in 2006. “As a result, we’ve been able to do some amazing things at SAY Detroit. We took a quantum leap this past year, with a deep and experienced new board of directors with a vision towards cementing the efforts that we do in the city right now and securing their future long term.
This year’s list of guests included Hugh Jackman, JK Simmons, Jane Pauley, Anderson Cooper, Dr. Phil, Hank Azaria, Paul Stanley, Lily Tomlin, Will Arnett, John Pizzarelli, Grant Hill, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Bradley Whitford, Sawyer Fredericks, Billy Bob Thornton, Tim Allen, Dave Barry, Adam Schefter, KEM, and Howard Schultz.
Closer to home, Mike Duggan, Tigers Manager Ron Gardenhire, Pistons Coach Dwane Casey, Matthew Stafford, Kirk Gibson, Tom Izzo, Jim Harbaugh, Dave Bing, Blake Griffin, and many local news personalities including Roop Raj, Amy Lange, Brad Galli, Carman Harlan, and Bernie Smilovitz.
Hourly sponsors included The Suburban Collection, General Motors, Ilitch Holdings, Inc., Michigan Center for Fertility & Women’s Health, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Cooper Standard, Michigan Masonic, Charitable Foundation, Art Van Furniture, St. Nicholas Troy Ladies Philoptochos, Artichoke Garlic Foundation, Emagine Entertainment, Somerset Collection, Health Partners Inc., and the Singing for Change Foundation. Additonal sponsors include Diamabrush, Toyota, W.K. Kellogg, and Trinity Health.
For those who missed the opportunity to donate, bid on auctions, or buy incentive premiums during the broadcast have the opportunity to make donations and purchases through the weekend at www.mitchalbomradiothon.com.
Nov 17, 2018 | News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit, S.A.Y. Detroit Play
Nearly two dozen Masons from Michigan Masonic lodges across the state, including members of the Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation, spent part of the afternoon at SAY Detroit’s after-school academic enrichment center on Detroit’s northeast side. They joined the students at a pizza luncheon, with pizza generously provided by Little Caesars, and observed and participated in a robotics demonstration, where our FTC and FLL teams walked the Masons through this year’s robotic challenge: identifying a human, physical or social problem faced during a long duration space exploration, and their solutions, as well as their robotic design and programming.
The day concluded with the Masons’ presenting SAY Detroit with its third installment of 10-year, $5 million pledge for continued support of the nonprofit. SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom hosted the festivities, and later some Michigan Masons members on his radio show on WJR.
Nov 14, 2018 | News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit, S.A.Y. Detroit Play
SAY Detroit is a proud recipient of a Bank of America Charitable Foundation award this year. Today during Bank of America’s Detroit Give 2018 charity tour, we welcomed members of their group at our SAY Play Center at Lipke Park, where they spent time learning more about our academic enrichment center and how Bank of America can be involved in what we do. Terrific partnership is in the works! Thank you #MiBofA
Oct 29, 2018 | News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit
It was called “An Evening With Mitch Albom’’ but it was really all about SAY Detroit.
The Ladies Philoptochos Society of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Troy held a fundraiser on Saturday night to benefit SAY Detroit’s umbrella of programs and projects to help Detroit’s neediest citizens.
The event featured food, wine, music, fellowship — and plenty of fun and games, such as a silent auction, wine and spirits grab, and strings of “SAY to Play Beads” that were sold for participation in a heads-or-tails game on the stage floor.
SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom signed books and thanked sponsors at a VIP reception prior to giving a presentation about the 12-year-old nonprofit, which drew a standing ovation. He also shared stories about his time as a young musician living on the island of Crete in Greece in the 1970s.
Among the silent auction items was a package donated by Albom and Marc Rosenthal that fetched $1,075: An opportunity for the winner and up to three guests to sit in during a live broadcast of The Mitch Albom Show on WJR-760AM and receive a tour of the studio.
Jennifer Hammond of FOX 2 Detroit emceed the evening. SAY Detroit would like to thank the organizing committee that staged the event, including Andrea Feles-Katsimbaris, Melanie Feles, Laurel Kalkanis, Angelique Chengelis, Tina Robert and Katina Cloutier, as well as Fr. Stratton, Father Mike and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit.
Representatives from St. Nicholas will appear with Albom during SAY Detroit’s annual Radiothon on Dec. 6 at Somerset Collection in Troy, where the group will present the nonprofit with a check from proceeds from the fundraiser.
Oct 26, 2018 | News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit
The St. Nicholas Philoptochos is excited to host this special event with Mitch Albom, benefiting SAY Detroit.
Please join us for this Amazing night of cocktails, strolling dinner , silent auction and more!
More Information
Doors open at 6pm
Silent Auction from 6-10pm
Drinks & Strolling Dinner
Ticket Options:
DIAMOND – $250.00 VIP MEET & GREET COCKTAIL RECEPTION WITH MITCH ALBOM; INCLUDES AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF THE NEXT PERSON YOU MEET IN HEAVEN + RESERVED SEATING FOR 1
PLATINUM – $1500.00 RESERVED SEATING FOR 8 + ACCESS TO PRIVATE VIP MEET & GREET
GOLD – $750.00 RESERVED SEATING FOR 4
SILVER – $375.00 RESERVED SEATING FOR 2
BRONZE – $125.00 INDIVIDUAL TICKET PROGRAM SPONSOR
$100.00 – INDIVIDUAL TICKET
For more information and to get your tickets, please click here.
S.A.Y. Detroit (which stands for Super All Year Detroit) is a fully formed 501(c) (3) charity and operates as an umbrella organization for charities dedicating to improving the lives of the neediest,