Detroit Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull said he felt called to help. He’d heard about Kingdom Home, the nonprofit organization fellow pitcher Matthew Boyd and his wife, Ashley, launched in 2018 to help end human trafficking in Uganda through prevention. He approached Boyd about going with them halfway around the world to help children in need.

“I just remember feeling like I really wanted to go to Uganda,” said Turnbull. “To say that it was life-changing or perspective-shifting just doesn’t really cover it.”

Watch Matthew Boyd and Turnbull reflect on their experiences in Uganda in the video below.

To date, Kingdom Home has raised $250,000 to house 146 at-risk Ugandan children in four private homes. Soon, Kingdom Home will build additional homes and will maintain two wells and a hydroponic farm to help local families.

The Detroit News honored Matthew and Ashley Boyd for their activism by naming them among the 41^st Class of its “Michiganians of the Year” series.  

“We’re just answering the call. The true heroes are the house mothers and house parents, mothers and fathers in Uganda who are with the children every single day and working hard,” said Matthew Boyd, who was named “Tiger of the Year” in November. “They’re pouring into these children and investing their whole lives for them to be future leaders.”

The Boyds are not the only Tigers family to earn the prestigious honor. The Detroit News previously extended the “Michiganian of the Year” award to Al Kaline, Alan Trammell and Ernie Harwell.

For more information on Kingdom Home, visit KingdomHome.org.

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The District Detroit offers world-class live entertainment year-round. Little Caesars Arena specifically hosts hockey, basketball and concerts — sometimes all in the same weekend. But have you ever wondered how an ice rink becomes a basketball court overnight?

We followed Little Caesars Arena facility manager Jared Bodary and his conversion crew for a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into transforming Little Caesars Arena, one of the world’s best and busiest venues, from ice to court.

Peek behind the curtain in the video below.

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The sport of hockey can greatly impact the lives of kids, especially the girls who take up the sport at a young age. The Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club, one of the nation’s premier amateur hockey organizations, provides opportunities for young players to advance their athletic careers. Each year, high school students around the country sign a binding National Letter of Intent to play collegiate sports for the school of their choice.

For signatories from the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club’s Girls team, there’s another layer of significance: some of them grew up watching their big brothers on the ice, wondering when their opportunity to play hockey would come.

Due to their hard work, dedication to the sport and the help of the coaches and staff of the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club, these athletes will have the opportunity to attend college and play the game they love.

Celebrate the momentous occasion with them in the video below.

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Team sports like baseball can play a key role in the development of kids. That’s why the Detroit Tigers, with the help of the Detroit Tigers Foundation, an affiliate of Ilitch Charities, and USA Baseball, introduced the Fun At Bat program to elementary schools throughout the Detroit Public School Community District.

Fun At Bat is a free curriculum available for schools and school districts nationwide that emphasizes character development, functional movement, active play and fun. The initiative aims to provide children with a fun and active experience while reinforcing principles such as teamwork, honesty and responsibility, and to create an environment that produces both healthier and more well-rounded kids.

Watch as Detroit Tigers players and coaches teach baseball, as well as important life lessons, in the video below.

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The Detroit Red Wings Foundation is committed to creating positive change across Michigan through community involvement and the growth of hockey. Last season, the Red Wings organization proudly represented more than $2 million in combined community support.

Fans and supporters throughout the region helped further the foundation’s cause by attending this year’s Toast of Hockeytown. The annual event was reimagined for its 20^th anniversary around a 1920’s theme, bringing the fun-loving spirit of the Jazz Age to the award-winning Little Caesars Arena.

The main event, which took place atop the covered ice, featured remarks from Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman, and Christopher Ilitch, President & CEO, Ilitch Holdings, Inc. and Governor, Detroit Red Wings.

As the foundation’s signature event, Toast of Hockeytown allows Detroit Red Wings fans, coaches and players — past and present — to mingle while enjoying great music, food from dozens of Detroit-based vendors and craft cocktails. Fans were granted unparalleled access to Little Caesars Arena and Detroit Red Wings personnel, including a three-hour meet-and-greet featuring Yzerman himself. Proceeds from ticket sales support the Detroit Red Wings Foundation.

Travel back in time through this charitable event in the photos below.

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Progress continues at 110 Sproat St., where Olympia Development is redeveloping the nearly 100-year-old former Eddystone Hotel building. The project will bring 92 new residential units and ground-floor retail space to a high-demand area near Little Caesars Arena.

For a peek inside the redevelopment of this historic site, check out the video below.

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Tigers fans rejoice: Opening Day and the 2020 season is just around the corner. In anticipation of the upcoming season, we sent a crew down to Tigertown in Lakeland, Fla.

The players and coaches cut loose to playfully pose for the fun and fan-centered “motion headshots” featured on scoreboards throughout the season. And our video crew captured it all.

Catch the exclusive video here:

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The Detroit Red Wings, in partnership with the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), hosted the Hockey is for Everyone celebration at the award-winning Little Caesars Arena as the Red Wings hosted the Calgary Flames.

The Red Wings invited about 100 guests from several local and national organizations to the game, including:

• Affirmations, a Ferndale, Michigan-based nonprofit that provides a welcoming space for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and cultures.
• Representatives from the Detroit Hockey Rink Collaborative, a component of the Detroit Red Wings’ Learn, Play, Score program.
• Members of the adaptive sled hockey team who represented the Detroit Red Wings in the USA Hockey Sled Classic lined up alongside Red Wings players during the singing of the National Anthem.
• Flint Inner-City Youth Hockey Program founder and 2019 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award-winner Rico Phillips performed the ceremonial puck drop.

Hockey sticks with rainbow-colored “pride tape” used by the Red Wings players during pregame warm-ups are being auctioned at www.DetroitRedWings.com/Auction through Sunday, March 1. Proceeds benefit Affirmations and You Can Play, a national organization dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes.

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The developers of the former United Artist’s building at 150 Bagley have a strong vision for the future of this historic building. Bagley Development Group LLC is redeveloping 150 Bagley St. Residences @ 150 Bagley. The transformation of this historic building will add nearly 150 apartments to the bustling downtown district, 20 percent of which will be designated as affordable, and create about 250 jobs for Detroiters.

Bagley Development Group is dedicated to reviving the 100-year-old, 18-story building while uplifting Detroit and its residents along the way. The group is led by Detroit developer Emmett Moten Jr., who also led the restoration of multiple historic buildings in Detroit.

The building is located in the Grand Circus Park Historic District which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Residences @ 150 Bagley will be close to several public transit options and a wealth of entertainment and nightlife, including Cliff Bell’s, Rusted Crow Detroit, the Columbia Street restaurant and retail district, and the historic Fox Theatre.

Learn more about Bagley Development Group’s Detroit-centered approach in the video below.

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