The SAY Detroit Play Center at St. Cecilia

SAY Detroit is launching a transformative investment in Detroit’s future: the acquisition and redevelopment of the historic St. Cecilia campus into a state-of-the-art youth development, academic enrichment, leadership, and recreation center serving the city’s west side. This bold project, funded by a multimillion-dollar campaign, will restore one of Detroit’s most iconic cultural spaces and convert it into a modern, high impact resource for thousands of young people and families.

The announcement was made during today’s SAY Detroit Radiothon, where SAY Detroit invited Mayor Michael Duggan, former Mayor Dave Bing, former Chief of the Detroit Police Department and Deputy Mayor Isaiah McKinnon, and Judith (Pickop) Cureton and Sari Cureton, widow and daughter (respectively) of Earl Cureton to join in the festivities. Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield called in from her honeymoon.

SAY Detroit is committed to honoring this historic campus while bringing it back to life as a vibrant community hub focused on academic growth, workforce readiness, healthy youth development, and long-term neighborhood stability.

For a decade, the SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park has shown what’s possible for our city’s young people. Our proven model tackles the barriers families face every day—like limited academic support, lack of safe recreation, and too few opportunities for college and career exploration. Through year-round programming, engaged mentors, and community partnerships, SAY Play has become a place where students thrive.

• Our senior Class of 2025 earned a 100% graduation rate, with 4 students heading to four-year colleges
• We are creating readers: 100% of youth enrolled in literary cohort improved reading proficiency during the school year
• It’s six-week 2025 Summer Discovery program boasts a 92% retention rate of youth participants
• More than 70% of students who participated in our afterschool program were provided transportation from school and to their homes each day — this service is essential for consistent attendance
• Enrollment and programming serves youth from more than 50 schools

At Lipke Park, every student completes academic support sessions before stepping into arts and athletics—ensuring school success always comes first. Teachers and coaches serve as mentors, guiding students on and off the court.

Now, we’re ready to bring that same success to Detroit’s west side.

St. Cecilia Parish was founded in 1921 and the parish school opened in the mid-1920s; the high school addition (which included the gym) opened around 1930. The building that contains the famous gym —  a near-sacred space where basketball legends including Magic Johnson, George Gervin, Jalen Rose, Derrick Coleman, Isiah Thomas, Earl Cureton, and Chris Webber sharpened their skills —  started life as part of the parish/school complex. It converted in the 1960s into a rec center, driven by urgent community need for a safe gathering space, under the leadership of Fr. Ray Ellis and Sam Washington Sr.

The redeveloped St. Cecilia campus will carry on this tradition of nurturing talent and building SAY Detroit’s mission to provide pathways to success for those in need. The ambitious vision for the project — 25 classrooms, over 25,000 square feet of learning space on a combined 8 acres (approximate) of space includes multiple purpose-built spaces to support academic growth, workforce readiness, healthy youth development, and community stability:

1. Academic Success Wing

2. STEM & Digital Innovation Labs

3. Arts, Music, and Cultural Development

4. Athletics & Health

5. Workforce, Leadership, and Life Skills

6. Family Empowerment Hub

7. Community & Multi-Use Spaces

We can’t wait to welcome youth into the SAY Detroit Play Center at St. Cecilia, where they’ll learn, grow, and take their place on the beloved hardwoods of “The Saint.”

If you are interested in lending your early support to this ambitious capital project, please contact Executive Director Richard Kelley at rick@saydetroit.org.

The SAY Play Center had not been open for even a year when the Michigan Masons stepped up in the fall of 2016 and entered in a 10-year partnership ($5 million over 10 years) with SAY Detroit to support the program and its services. SAY Detroit’s partnership with the Michigan Masons is a rarity in the nonprofit world where many funders are reluctant to enter into multi-year funding agreements. The children hold an annual event each fall to celebrate the Masons, which presented its 10th $500,000 check on Wednesday, November 19.

The Michigan Masons were also presented with a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Detroit at the ceremony.

This year’s event raised $200,000 to support SAY Detroit’s mission, which provides pathways to success for Detroiters in need!

Read a recap of the event in the Detroit Free Press

Let’s SAY Thank You to our EAT Detroit Sponsors!

CO-PRESENTED BY

MEDIA PARTNERS

Platinum Palate & Gold Gourmet Sponsors

Bronze Bite-Sized Sponsors

Copper Culinary Friends

The Radiothon is more than a fundraiser, it is a testament of what a community can accomplish when it delivers on a shared belief that we helping our neighbors in need helps lift us all. Chris Spielman, former Lions player and now front office staff perhaps said it best when he joined host Mitch Albom early in the day:

The Detroit Lions certainly helped deliver some other wins for SAY Detroit this year, as coach Dan Campbell, Alex Anzalone, and none other than QB Jared Goff all took the time to join the Radiothon live and offered up signed memorabilia and must-have auction experiences to “hang” with them during training camp in the summer, raising nearly $15,000.  

The event also welcomed Detroit friends near and far, including Hugh Jackman, Stephen King, J.K. Simmons, Jeff Daniels, Hoda Kotb, Anderson Cooper, Jane Pauley, Tim Allen, Dr. Phil, Dave Barry, Lily Tomlin, Hank Azaria, Lomas Brown, Tom Izzo, Bernie Smilovitz and Carmen Harlan, Desmond Howard, Dan Dickerson, Mike Tirico, Jim Leyland, Dylan Larkin, Tarik Skubal, Cade Cunningham  — and many more! And once again we were treated to the musical styling of John Pizzarelli, who brought the house down with “There is No One Quite Like Hugh” and “There Ain’t No Way to Stop Dan Campbell’s Guys.”

It also welcomed the voices of those served by SAY Detroit, its staff who are hard at work in the city every day, and some of its collaborators in the community. The SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic offers so much more than primary care to the thousands of patients in Highland Park and wider Detroit area. Patient Carla Fluker tearfully opened up about how nurse practitioner Carla Butcher helped save her life after suffering a stroke, while patient and veteran Charles Muhammed shared that he felt it meant a lot to see people who looked like him and that he could trust.

Better Together program coordinator Darryl Woods introduced Pershing High School Principal Bryant Tipton, who shared that the programs “peace initiative” had fundamentally “changed the whole climate and culture of our school.” Student Corry, dressed to impress because he wanted to emulate the respect and professionalism his principal models every day, agreed that the experience and program opened his perspective. Don Tulski, President of the nationally-renowned College for Creative Studies brought freshman Jacey Williams, scholarship award recipient and digital artist, whose dream is to cultivate beauty in Detroit through muralism. (View his art here.)

On stage and up for sale is the Mi-Cycle One™, the Dutch commuter bicycle designed and assembled at the Mi-Cycle program workshop, which makes transportation possible for everyone by repairing used bicycles – and building new ones — and distributing them to children and adults in need of wheels for work or recreation.  The program just gave away its 850th bike this year alone! The program also creates meaning employment opportunities for people in transitional situations; program director Chuck Nagy brought employee Anthony, who was been working with the program for two months. He has become a skilled mechanic and a model employee. Through COTS shelter’s resources, he is excelling in life skills and financial classes, and working hard to transition his family into more permanent housing. We’re proud to be a part of that process, and proud of Anthony’s great work!

The honored traditions of presenting the families who received a house during the Working Homes / Working Families program returned once again. You can learn more about the Johnettia Jackson and her “legendary” boys and Kai Green and her family, all also participants in SAY Play’s programming here.

This day of joy and giving, of grace and ceremony, of thoughtful planning and a little luck, would not be possible without the incredible work and generosity of our volunteers, sponsors, and our donors.

“SAY Detroit and say something amazing.” We couldn’t say — or do — anything good with your help. And we are grateful Follow along in as we put this good will and generosity to work!

During the morning hours of the 2023 Radiothon, Janene and Greg Graham made an impactful gift to SAY Detroit and the communities we serve with the click of a button.

Greg had just taken a buyout from General Motors and Janene’s company was facing some challenges making the future not entirely certain. However, trusting their faith they knew that they wanted to share what they had with those less fortunate. 

“We believe it is important to be good neighbors. We are fortunate and we are happy to help relieve some financial stress for others,” Greg shared.

Janene added, “We are excited to partner with SAY Detroit – it makes us smile to hear about the kids SAY Play supports.” 

Because of generous donors like Janene and Greg, the SAY Detroit Play Center was able to open its doors to 200 students during its annual summer camp — a 50% increase in enrollment — and offer students aged 8-18 a safe place to gather, a healthy meal, academic support and social activities and excursions. The SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic was able to continue its work as a full-service health clinic, including performing social assessments on each patient and providing tools on taking care of patient health outside of the Clinic walls.

We are thankful to the Graham’s who made a choice, with a click of a button, to partner with SAY Detroit and help us fulfill our mission to provide pathways to success for Detroiters in need. 

If you would like to help working families who’ve hit hard times, a gift today will be matched up to $25,000, thanks to a generous donor.

and help us meet this match challenge!

But the Jacksons aren’t just part of the SAY Detroit family as WHWF recipients — they are what SAY Detroit Play Center’s Athletic Director Dan Boylan calls “legends.” That’s because the eldest boys, Johnethian, 18, and Jeremiyah, 16, joined SAY Play when it first opened in 2015. Boylan recalls witnessing the brothers’ close bond firsthand, as Johnethian stepped in to defend his brother against some roughhousing on the football field. Before Boylan could explain SAY Play’s own rules against that kind of behavior, Johnethian was there to stop it. 

That reserved strength is typical of the eldest Jackson boy, who is an all-around athlete. Several members of the SAY Play staff were in attendance to watch him graduate this past spring from Osborn High School, where he played on the school’s championship-winning baseball team.  

Where Johnethian grew more quietly into his own, Cass Tech junior Jeremiyah arrived a bit more stridently from the first. Equally comfortable on a basketball court and on a stage, he banked a game-winning three-pointer at a summer AAU game and performs music under the duo “J2x.” He’s also frequently lent his voice to share his experience with SAY Detroit, including at the grand opening celebration of the Kelly and Matthew Stafford & Friends Education Center.

It’s a full experience for every kid that gets to go here… I didn’t have anything when I got to this neighborhood, it was just me and my mom and my brothers. I signed up for the Center. They gave me everything. That’s when my life started.

— JEREMIYAH JACKSON

Both Johnethian and Jeremiyah proved themselves natural leaders — in formal ways as summer camp counselors at SAY Play hired through the mayor’s Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GYDT) — and informally by modeling behavior for younger members, including their brother Jackeob, 11, who is new to SAY Play.

Like his oldest brother, Jackeob is quiet and finding his way, but respectful and quick to offer staff help when asked. He’s exploring different activities, and currently enjoying robotics.

There’s no adult who doesn’t smile when they’re asked about one of the Jackson boys, and that’s because of the kind of investment and mentorship our world-class staff at SAY Play makes in every child who enrolls.

SAY Play empowers youth by providing high quality pathways to success in a safe, nurturing and enriching environment.

and double your value as we change the game for Detroit youth! 

“Sanctuary. Home. Comfort. Security. Peace.”

If you are blessed, you will feel that warmth in the embrace of friends and family as you gather to give thanks this week.

But those words are also how Michelle and Clyde Moore once described their living situation only after becoming WHWF recipients. After losing their apartment due to health setbacks and job loss, the couple and their three children alternated between sleeping in their car and a motel room. All they needed, they said, was “one chance” to help get back on their feet. [Watch their story from 2020 here.]

WHWF provides that opportunity by matching empty houses with working families in need of homes. We work with partners to refurbish and furnish houses, and more partners to rebuild neighborhood parks and green spaces. You can help offset repair costs with a donation right now.

This year, two families from the SAY Detroit Play Center received homes as WHWF increases its strategic investment in the Osborn neighborhood that surrounds the premier learning center. As SAY Play’s Executive Director Eric Reed explains, it’s about “making sure they have a stable and consistent environment away from the center.”

SAY Detroit helps communities thrive by supporting families through housing, health care and education.

You’ll meet both 2024 families *live* during the Radiothon on December 12, but here’s an early introduction for supporters like you.

The Jacksons, pictured above, were living in just the first floor of the home after the second floor was ravaged by fire. At five years old, Johnettia’s (48) youngest son Jahshuea is too young to join SAY Play, but older boys Johnethian (18), Jeremiyah (16), and Jackeob (11) are current or graduated members — and “legends” you’ll hear more about next week.

Single mom and medical assistant Kai Green (32), and her three children found stability (pictured above). They’d been living with Kai’s mother since January after their previous rental fell into disrepair and foreclosure. The new home in Osborn meant her children would not have to change schools, and they would be able to continue receiving academic assistance, enrichment programming and other services like daily meals and wellness support at SAY Play.

“I feel encouraged. I feel empowered. I feel loved. I feel like God has my back,” she exclaimed on moving day in May.

A fire, a workplace injury, a rental scam, job loss, a car accident — these are all real issues WHWF program recipients have recently faced. In the balance of bad luck, a health problem, a poor decision, or trust broken, lives are changed.

They can be changed again, for the better.

Help build sanctuary, home, comfort, security, and peace for more families in need in Detroit now with an early gift to the 2024 Radiothon.

»  Get ready for the 2024 Radiothon

• Look out for a big announcement next week about a way to support the radiothon in a big way!
• Preview some auction and incentive items at mitchalbomradiothon.com
• Add the event to your calendar:

»  Help SAY Play win $10,000!

All it takes is a click! You can help students from the SAY Detroit Play Center win $10,000 by casting your vote for their decorated tree in a contest hosted by Gardner White as part of their Tinsel Town celebration. Click the button below to read Mitch Albom’s appeal and learn how you can vote for SAY Play’s “Merry Glitchmas” tree!

Founded by the nationally-recognized youth advocate Erica Wright, Westside Cultural’s all-volunteer staff ensures youth from at-risk homes have a safe place to learn and participate in constructive activities including sports, arts and crafts, neighborhood clean ups, conflict resolution classes, African American History, field trips and holiday parties.

Now in its 48th year, Westside Cultural also boasts some locally-renowned alumni, including River Rouge Schools Superintendent Derrick Coleman, who was also on hand for the giveaway at Mi-Cycle’s repair shop at the Marygrove Conservancy, with children from the district to receive bikes and a trailer to bus additional bikes directly to schools!

SAY Detroit’s Mi-Cycle, run by Chuck Nagy, the founder of Heavy Pedalz, repairs used bicycles and distributes them to children and adults who need transportation for school, work, medical care, physical recreation, and other activities.

Have a bicycle to donate? This Saturday, April 20, the Porter Riedl Foundation is hosting a bike drive to benefit Mi-Cycle at Hillside Middle School in Northville from 10AM – 2PM. For pick up text (248) 579-7059.

If you are too far or can’t make it, you can drop off bike donations at the Mi-Cycle Repair Shop at the Marygrove Conservancy (8425 W McNichols Rd, Detroit, MI 48221) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11AM – 7PM or email chuck@saydetroit.org to make an appointment outside of these hours.

Held last December at the Somerset Collection in Troy, the twelfth edition of the Radiothon raised more than $2 million, bringing the recurring event’s total fundraising impact to more than $14.5 million since its inception in 2012.

Hosted by SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom and featuring SAY Detroit’s program leaders, the presentation and networking opportunity welcomed representatives from twenty-seven charities, including first-time recipients The DRE Project and Wings of Love Missionary Baptist Church.

“The generosity and kindness of Michiganders is unmatched. Our annual distribution ceremony embraces that spirit to help other like-minded nonprofits in our area that perform life-changing, and sometimes lifesaving, work,” Albom said. “Collaborating with these worthy partners to offer a hand up to those in need is essential. SAY Detroit is proud to lead the charge, beginning with one of the happiest, and most rewarding, days of the year.”

Broadcast live for 15 hours on WJR (760 AM) and https://mitchalbomradiothon.com, along with broadcast partner WDIV (https://clickondetroit.com), this year’s SAY Detroit Radiothon will be held on December 12, once again at the Somerset Collection in Troy.

Recipients today include:

Avalon Village: $5,000.00
Bing Youth Institute: $10,000.00
Boys Hope Girls Hope: $10,000.00
Building Better Men: $5,000.00
Cass Community Social Services: $25,000.00
COTS/Bright Beginnings: $12,500.00
D2N: $7,500.00
Detroit Hives: $5,000.00
Detroit Recovery Project: $5,000.00
Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries Behavioral Health Clinic: $25,000.00
The Dre Project: $10,000.00
Full Count Foundation: $10,000.00
Humble Design: $15,000.00
Jive Turkeys Detroit: $5,000.00
LA SED Inc.: $15,000.00
Michigan Veterans Foundation: $15,000.00
Mother Batie’s Kitchen/United Sisters of Charity: $10,000.00
Neigborhood Legal Services Michigan: $15,000.00
Notes for Notes: $10,000.00
Parker Village: $7,500.00
Peace Players Detroit: $10,000.00
SASHA Center: $15,000.00
TeMaTe Institute for Black Dance and Culture: $3,000.00
Urban Innovators: $5,000.00
Westside Cultural & Athletic Club: $12,000.00
College for Creative Studies/Detroit Dream Scholars: $50,000.00
Wings of Love Baptist

We achieved 113% of our goal, raising $28,449 from 131 donors! 

What a sentence to write and read, and we are grateful to you for responding so enthusiastically to our call to begin the celebration a little early. Just yesterday evening, SAY Detroit Play Center student Allison Woodard joined the Mitch Albom Show live on WJR to share an update on our progress. (Pictured above is a behind the scenes look as Allison calls in to WJR from SAY Play)

At just 17 and a high school junior at Cass Tech, Allison was a media “pro” and kept up with the whole show crew.* Allison joined SAY Play in 2017, expressing an early interest in media production in the Notes for Notes studio, where she participated in a news-style project called “Kids Perspective Network.”

That interest in reporting what people were doing, she explains, shifted to a desire to learn and understand how people are doing. With the goal of becoming a psychiatrist, she hopes to attend Wayne State University to complete her bachelor’s in psychology and fulfill her pre-med requirement, then advance to the University of Michigan** for medical school.

She currently serves as a student tutor in The DEEP [Digital Educational Enrichment Program], helping her peers and younger members with homework, reading, and other academic study.

Paying it forward. That’s what you’re doing when you give to SAY Detroit, which in turn helps more students like Allison, who want to turn the opportunities they have been given into a mission to help their community.  SAY Play’s core values are love, hard work, excellence, and relationships. Allison embodies them, and all of our students and staff commit to living them every day.

Don’t worry if you missed her on the air — she’ll be back next week during the radiothon to share more about her experience at SAY Play. We hope you’ll help us keep the momentum going as we head into Thursday’s event.

Your gift today will be recognized in the official radiothon tote board!

» The radiothon is live from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on December 7.

Listen / watch / attend:

• WJR 760AM
• mitchalbomradiothon.com
• Somerset Collection’s North Grand Court (Troy, MI)