Whether in the stands or at home, one thing’s for sure: Detroit Roots. This season, Tigers fans continued to support their team and it was genuinely felt and appreciated by the players. As a thank you, the Detroit Tigers are hosting a virtual Fan Appreciation Weekend, taking place Sept. 25–27.

The three-day festivities kick off today with the “Retweet to Win” contest, where two lucky fans will win the chance to virtually join one of three former Tigers players from the 2006 AL Championship team and watch the first two innings of Friday’s game. (Spoiler: former Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland is confirmed to be one of the participants). Additional virtual events include:

• Friday: Fans have the chance to win special prize packs, as well as autographed and authenticated Tigers items.
• Saturday: More giveaway opportunities and a surprise Tigers player will join fans on Twitter to virtually sign photos from fans an hour before the game.
• Sunday: 40 autographed #DetroitRoots t-shirts will be given away.

Fans will need to submit an entry form through the Ballpark App or Tigers.com to win prizes throughout the weekend. The winners of each contest will be announced in the middle of the 7^th inning of that day’s game.

Watch members of the Detroit Tigers personally thank their fans in the video below.

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This season, the Detroit Tigers are missing their faithful, cheering fans at Comerica Park. But, with the help of a creative broadcast team, the sounds of the game and the Tigers’ always-supportive crowds still fill the stadium.

The roar remains, virtually, as cheering sounds are piped through speakers during games highlighting homeruns, clutch hits and strikeouts.

Stan Fracker, the Tigers’ director of broadcast and in-game entertainment, has been keeping Detroit sports fans on their feet behind the scenes for more than two decades.

As the Tigers take on the Cleveland Indians for their final home game of the unique 2020 season, take a look at Fracker and his team as they keep the sights and sounds pumping at Comerica Park.

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Beginning this weekend, the Detroit Tigers will highlight the important contributions of Hispanic and Latino players, as well as Detroit-based community organizations. The effort is part of “Somos MLB,” a league-wide recognition of Latino baseball stars and their contributions to the game.

The celebration kicks off on Friday, September 18, when Detroit Tigers radio announcer Dan Dickerson virtually interviews Tigers icons Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, Placido Polanco, Ramon Santiago and Juan Berenguer, who played for the team during their 1984 World Series win.

Throughout the coming weeks on social media, the Tigers will share stories and content celebrating the accomplishments of other Hispanic and Latino players who have made an impact on the team.

Additionally, the Tigers will highlight community organizations such as Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development, Inc. (LA SED), a non-profit agency that serves Hispanics and residents of Southwest Detroit. The Tigers have a long-standing relationship with LA SED, and the organization’s Ago Benavides will throw out the Virtual First Pitch prior to Saturday’s Tigers game.

As part of its programming, LA SED’s Youth Center provides invaluable resources for Hispanic and Latino children in the Detroit community. The bilingual volunteer staff of the Youth Center is dedicated to serving young people in need through advocacy, tutoring, summer employment programs and more.

Learn more from LA SED’s Jane Garcia, who this week sat down for an interview for the Word on Woodward to talk about the importance of resources such as the Youth Center.

To learn more about “Somos Tigres,” Hispanic and Latino Detroit Tigers players, past and present, and the ongoing “Fiesta Tigres” event, which has been held at Comerica Park since 2008, visit here:  https://www.mlb.com/tigers/community/hispanic-heritage/

You can follow the Detroit Tigers Spanish-language Twitter and Instagram pages here.

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The Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings have announced a partnership with the Michigan secretary of state’s office to support the United States presidential election and encourage voter participation in Detroit and throughout the state of Michigan.

Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings, will serve as a safe, centralized training venue for more than 6,000 volunteer election workers over a several week period in September and October.  Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, has been made available to host a ballot drop box, should the city need additional locations. In addition, the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings will use their social media platforms to share educational information about voter registration, voting by mail, Election Day volunteer opportunities and ballot completion.

“Elections are the foundation of our democracy and we are committed to doing all we can to support the upcoming election,” said Chris Granger, Group President, Sports and Entertainment, Ilitch Holdings, Inc. “Not only are our facilities uniquely suited to support the needs of the community and the Secretary of State leading up to election day, our sports teams provide voices to share information and fulfill our civic obligation to encourage all Michiganders to exercise their right to vote on Nov. 3.”

Through a series of training sessions, Little Caesars Arena will fill an imperative election need, by offering a safe, socially distanced space to prepare Detroit volunteers to work the polls on Election Day.

“I am grateful to the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers for helping us fill these critical needs this election cycle,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “Leveraging the resources and unrivaled platforms of these teams will enable us to reach voters and give them the assurance that their elections will be accessible and secure. And I am proud to say that with this announcement Detroit is now the first U.S. city where all four professional sports teams are taking an active, nonpartisan role in supporting this fall’s elections. We hope that this inspires every Michigan voter to participate in our democracy.”

Over the next two months, the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings will remain connected with the Secretary of State to support election needs, and the teams are committed to sharing important information and resources with fans to help them prepare for Nov. 3.

Across the country, here in Detroit, and within all of the Ilitch companies, the important issues of diversity, equality and inclusion continue to take center stage. Over the years, the Ilitch companies have sought to address these issues through a variety of efforts, including the employment of a diverse workforce, various training programs for employees, and partnering with organizations such as the Michigan Diversity Council, the MLB’s Diversity Fellowship Program and the NHL’s Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs team. We are committed to using our resources and reach to foster greater inclusion and understanding.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, we are thoughtfully evaluating our policies and practices and are continuing to listen, learn and explore new efforts for the betterment of our employees, organization and community.

Following the recent meeting with Mayor Duggan, Rev. Anthony of the NAACP and other business leaders, the Ilitch companies took immediate action, including:

• Conducting a series of listening sessions were conducted with leaders and colleagues throughout the organization. These conversations were open, invaluable and instructive, covering topics such as recruitment and hiring, career development, training and other important issues.

• Forming a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force comprised of colleagues from across the Ilitch companies with the goal of making sustainable improvements within our organization.

• Expanding our partnerships with experts like the Michigan Diversity Council (MIDC). Task force members will complete the MIDC’s 2020 East Virtual DiversityFIRST™ Certification Program, designed to help companies create and implement highly successful diversity and inclusion strategies for organizational excellence.    

• Working together with the MLB and the NHL, respectively, the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings took visible actions to implement and localize league-led initiatives:

• At the Detroit Tigers home opener, Tigers players and uniformed personnel wore Detroit Roots t-shirts with the message “I Root for Equality.” The Tigers opening line-up was announced by representatives from the Detroit Branch of The NAACP Youth Council and The GM Rainbow PUSH Scholars. During the middle of the 7^th inning, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals players paused for a moment of silence and reflection in support of equality, inclusion and social justice, followed by an “Equality” video shown on the Comerica Park scoreboard.
• More recently, the Tigers celebrated the MLB Negro Leagues’ 100^th anniversary with programs aimed at honoring the rich history of the leagues and providing opportunities for Tigers fans of all ages to learn more.
• During the Tigers game against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 26, we again had a moment of silence during the 7^th inning stretch and posted an equality message on the scoreboard reflecting the MLB’s “United for Change” initiative. Additional league-led initiatives are in the works for topics on voter education, the women’s equality and more.

• The Detroit Red Wings remain committed to the NHL’s year-round Hockey is for Everyone platform, celebrating equality and inclusion within the sport of hockey. And this approach to creating fair and just opportunities doesn’t solely live within Hockey is for Everyone. Through their groundbreaking Learn, Play, Score platform announced in February 2020, the Red Wings, NHL and NHLPA are also breaking down systemic barriers by introducing equitable access to hockey in various forms for thousands of children across Detroit. In partnership with respected local organizations and revered Detroiters — the late Marlowe Stoudamire and current Learn, Play, Score Ambassador Jason McCrimmon — children of all races, ages and abilities in the city of Detroit are now experiencing the social, emotional and educational benefits of hockey — many of them for the first time.

• The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted the Black community and in response we prioritized our efforts to help those most in need by donating thousands of masks to Detroit senior centers, non-profit organizations, and children’s groups. More information can be found here.

Racial gaps exist in our society. Business leaders have an opportunity to address them. As we take a careful look within our own organization, the Ilitch companies are committed to living up to the very best of our ideals and enacting policies and practices, that will positively impact our employees, our organization and our community for years to come.

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For kids in Detroit and surrounding communities, access to quality sports equipment can make a big difference in learning the games they love. The Detroit Tigers are proud to support the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan in its effort to work across southeast Michigan communities to improve access to sports equipment and do-it-from-home skills development drills for children. A program called Project Play Kits, which provides sports equipment, directions and links to guided videos, allows kids to participate in fun activities without the need for communal spaces. Launched by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, The Aspen Institute and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Project Play Kits initiative serves 2,400 children weekly, and features a different sport every week.

The Detroit Tigers and Detroit Tigers Foundation joined Major League Baseball to help adopt the Project Play Kits “baseball week” from Aug. 17–23.  In total, more than 2,400 Baseball Project Play Kits were donated and distributed throughout seven counties in southeast Michigan. Each kit included MLB Play Ball bat and ball sets, as well as instructional videos and drill sheets from the Tigers to give kids a safe way to learn and play. The Tigers mascot, Paws, distributed many kits to youth at a recent event at the Boys & Girls Club in Highland Park, Mich.

Project Play Southeast Michigan believes that every child should reap the benefits of a lifestyle that’s active, healthy and fun. To learn more about their work at and see the Project Play Kits baseball instructional videos, visit ProjectPlaySEMI.org.

Slices-N-Stix, the newest addition to the Little Caesars menu, brings pizza and breadsticks together to create an unexpected combination all in one mouth-watering pie. Slices-N-Stix combines four pepperoni pizza slices and eight cheese bread sticks in one pizza, plus a side of Crazy Sauce®.

Starting Aug. 31, Slices-N-Stix will be available for a limited time at participating Little Caesars restaurants nationwide for only $6 plus tax where applicable. Even better, you don’t even have to leave your house! Jump on the Little Caesars app or website and have Slices-N-Stix delivered right to your door.

Little Caesars offers contactless options for both delivery and carry-out through the Little Caesars app and website. Pizzas are baked in 475-degree ovens and never touched after baking. Little Caesars is home of Pizza Portal®, an order pickup method where customers can scan their phones and retrieve their orders from heated compartments, making the brand the only national chain to feature this type of contactless pickup in stores across the country. Customers getting pizza delivered can add driver instructions when the order is place on the Little Caesars app, including having the driver leave their order at their door. The chain has also reinforced cleanliness and sanitization procedures, increasing the frequency of cleaning commonly touched surfaces including door handles, glass, countertops, Pizza Portal surfaces, phones and cash registers.

Visit LittleCaesars.com to learn more.

Detroit Tigers players received an unexpected gift during warmups on Tuesday as a series of greetings from their families were shown on the scoreboard. Watch their faces light up in the video below.

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Restoring historic buildings goes beyond preserving Detroit’s history; it creates jobs for Detroiters, It draws further investment to our community and attracts visitors to the city. Olympia Development of Michigan, Detroit-based Brinker/Christman and Kraemer Design Group are reimagining the historic Women’s City Club building.  Once completed, it will become a hub for small businesses and entrepreneurs, creating jobs and bringing increased density to the Park Avenue Historic District.

Heather McClure, project manager for L.S. Brinker, helps lead the revitalization of the historic building, which opened in 1924 to give women a place to gather and network. For McClure, a woman in a male-dominated field, the significance of restoring a building meant to uplift women in Detroit is not lost on her.

A metro Detroit native, McClure started putting herself through college at age 19, where she pursued a business degree in operational management. She also befriended the owners of a local glass company, who gave her opportunities to learn new skills, which she said took her one step closer to commercial construction.

McClure was eventually hired as a project engineer at L.S. Brinker. Since she doesn’t have a degree in construction, other companies didn’t give her the same opportunities that Brinker did, she said. She says their recognition of her skills spurs her to do her best.

“Every day I’m really thankful I have the chance to do this, because I love my job,” she said. “I love working with people. I love when problems come up that we can solve. I think when you have a great team with you, you can conquer a lot of things. That’s the mentality of construction in general.”

She also said she works and hopes to build a better world for her daughter.

“I’m really proud of the things I do now. I have a daughter and she doesn’t see limitations on herself. I hope that carries on for other people, too,” she said.

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