In honor of Black History Month 2020, the National Hockey League (NHL) has announced the return of the NHL Black Hockey History Tour presented by American Legacy for a second season. This uniquely curated mobile museum will visit Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 18 and 19 to celebrate today’s stars, while also looking back at the pioneers and trailblazers who helped shape NHL history.

The mobile museum has been refreshed and redesigned, offering fans a new experience as they learn about some of the biggest moments, milestones and playmakers in hockey. The museum will travel to schools, community rinks and NHL arenas, incorporating unique programming at each stop. A few museum highlights include:

• Firsts and milestones: an entire wall dedicated to celebrating achievements in black hockey history including the first black NHL player, first captain, and first inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
• Every black player in history represented throughout the museum.
• Team locker room: every stop will have a customized NHL locker room giving fans the opportunity to sit in a stall to take a photo.

Come see the NHL Black Hockey History Tour for yourself:

• Jan. 18: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
• Jan. 18: 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.
• Jan. 19: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

For more information, visit NHL.com/BlackHockeyHistory.

With the midseason upon us, Detroit legend and Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman sat down to exclusively share a few thoughts on the team’s storied legacy, his return to Detroit and what Hockeytown means to fans and players alike.

For more of Yzerman’s take on this season, check out this video.

‍

From coast to coast, people on the go are flocking to healthy fast-casual establishments. Debuting this week in The District Detroit, Rush Bowls will bring distinctive and delicious offerings to residents and visitors alike at its eclectic new Columbia Street locale. Born of passion and a dream in 2004 by an entrepreneur in Boulder, Colorado, Rush Bowls features all-natural meals crafted from the finest fruits and vegetables, blended with protein and topped with organic crunchy granola and honey. Their delectable menu offers more than 40 signature bowls and smoothies.

With a prime location between the historic Fox Theatre and the new Little Caesars headquarters, this is one of five Rush Bowls that will open in Michigan under the leadership of Beth Lehman, founder and president of metro Detroit-based BLUSH Enterprises, Inc. Rush Bowls joins Frita Batidos and The M Den on Columbia Street, a block-long pedestrian-friendly strip that will continue to grow with the upcoming openings of Sahara Restaurant & Grill, a Metro Detroit family-owned Middle Eastern eatery, and a new Union Joints restaurant.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry. If Looks Could Kale. Lemon Squeeze. These are but a few of the healthy and rejuvenating menu highlights of this latest new and exciting destination.

Learn more by visiting: RushBowls.com/Detroit.

‍

Since opening in 1928, the historic Fox Theatre has hosted immense talents and countless unforgettable performances. Because of its rich history, the theater is cherished by many in the performing arts. This holiday season, high school, middle school and elementary choirs, as well as church choirs from throughout metro Detroit, were invited to be part of that history by performing on the steps of the grand lobby.

Members of the Bishop Foley Catholic High School choir stood beaming atop the Fox Theatre’s shimmering Grand Staircase, where they sang holiday carols — one of 13 area high school choir groups invited to perform.  

The annual choir program began in 2004 to give high school students a chance to showcase their talents while having an unforgettable experience.  

“What a magnificent space this is,” said Matthew J. Daniels, director of music for Bishop Foley Catholic High School. “For the kids to have the experience to sing in this space — there’s nothing like it. You don’t get performance opportunities like that very often.”

‍

From the historic Fox Theatre to Little Caesars Arena and beyond, the Detroit Police Department has been there to keep Detroit’s sports and entertainment fans at our beloved venues safe and secure.

In honor of this relationship and their commitment to our collective safety, Ilitch Companies, along with the Downtown Detroit Partnership, recognized National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (L.E.A.D.) with the Back the Blue initiative on Thursday, Jan. 9. Buildings and venues throughout downtown Detroit were lit up blue in a nationwide show of support for law enforcement.

“When we talk about backing the blue, it’s the community and our business partners saying, ‘We’re going to back you for the difficult job that you do each and every day,’” said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. “To know that we have community-based support backing those men and women goes a tremendously long way.”

Ilitch Companies also asked its employees to wear blue to honor those who keep us safe. More than 300 freshly baked cookies were offered to the security staff for all company venues to show appreciation for their extraordinary efforts.

“It’s showing community and corporate support for the men and women in public safety who are trying to make our city, our country and our state a better place to live in,” said Rick Fenton, vice president of corporate security for Ilitch Holdings.

For many years, Ilitch Companies has worked closely with local and national law enforcement to make for a better, safer District Detroit.

Little Caesars Arena was also the first mixed-use arena to earn the highest level of protection, the Safety Act Certification, from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2017. And, just this past month, Fenton and his team earned the Safety Act Designation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, demonstrating that The District Detroit in total are operating at the highest level of protection for our fans, players and visitors.

In 2018, Ilitch Charities and the Detroit Tigers Foundation provided highly trained dogs to local law enforcement to enrich the high security standards for the protection of fans and venue employees.

Venue security collaborates with local law enforcement to provide security outside of venues, including traffic management, on-foot patrols and patrols on horseback. These measures, along with behind-the-scenes coordination among local law enforcement and event staff and security, help keep sports and entertainment fans safe.

In 2018, the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University began a partnership with the Detroit Police Department to provide a 16-credit-hour certification program that bolsters local law enforcement officer’s knowledge in finance, budgeting, human resource management and communications. The program aims to improve officers’ leadership and resource management skills. Nearly two dozen City of Detroit and Wayne State University police officers received graduate certificates through the program in its first year.

‍

Little Caesars now delivers! A new milestone has been reached in Little Caesars tremendous 60-year history, bringing the best value, quality and convenience to its customers. Now pizza fans nationwide can order their favorite Little Caesars pizzas and sides using the mobile app or website, and track their delivery turn-by-turn — all for the same price as carry out.

“Little Caesars has always been driven by the customer,” said Little Caesars President and CEO David Scrivano. “The customer is number one and we’ve always been able to serve that customer a great pizza at a great price. Now we’re going to be able to do that through delivery. For the first time in our history, we found a way to integrate the technology to give our customers the best experience: the lowest price, highest quality, most conveniently delivered pizza in the industry.”

Little Caesars delivery service is uniquely bolstered by the company’s award-winning Pizza Portal®, a heated, self-service mobile order pick-up station, which keeps orders hot and secure until pick-up.  Complete integration between the Little Caesars point-of-sale systems and app, as well as the Pizza Portal pickups and hot bag equipped drivers ensure products are picked up within minutes of being ready and arrive fresh. Integration also ensures a smooth experience for our franchisees.

Customers use the Little Caesars app or website to order ahead, pre-pay, and then choose pick-up or delivery. The app notifies the delivery driver when the order is ready. Then the delivery driver bypasses the store counter, conveniently collects the order using Pizza Portal® pickup, and delivers to the customer. And, customers can GPS track their order from store to door.

Little Caesars delivery service is available only on its app and website, and powered through DoorDash Drive as the exclusive last mile delivery partner. The partnership brings together DoorDash’s expertise with quick, reliable on-demand delivery, and Little Caesars quality, convenience and value to offer more ways than ever to enjoy Little Caesars products.

Community organizations like The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan have long been vital to supporting families across Detroit. For nearly a century, they have helped foster youth development by giving kids a safe, stable environment in which to grow and thrive.

In partnership with this remarkable organization, the Detroit Red Wings joined kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs to take part in Hometown Holiday Assist, sponsored by Meijer, in which players and their little helpers purchased toys for patients at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. These gifts were distributed through the hospital’s Snowpile program, which eases the burden on families during the holidays by providing gifts for hospitalized children and their siblings.

Kids from Boys and Girls Clubs enthusiastically joined players, including Luke Glendening, Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard and more at Meijer, a Detroit Red Wings partner. Together, they strolled the aisles for this year’s most popular toys to give to the children. And little did they know there was a surprise waiting.

After the fun shopping spree wrapped, Glendening revealed to the Boys and Girls Club kids they too would receive well-deserved gifts for their hard work and commitment to giving back this holiday season.

Hometown Holiday Assist is a partnership between the Detroit Red Wings Foundation and Meijer to support the community during the holiday season. To learn more about the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, visit DetroitRedWings.com. Learn more about the Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s Snowpile program and how you can help at ChildrensDMC.org. More information about the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan can be found at BGCSM.org.

‍

Free Autograph Signings in The District Detroit, and New Summer TigerFest to Provide Access, New Experiences and Family Fun

Get ready, Tigers fans! The Detroit Tigers, including over 30 players, coaches, executives and broadcasters, are visiting fans and communities throughout the state, participating in the annual Winter Caravan from Jan. 22–24.  Also, as a thank you to fans, the team will be offering free player autograph signings at locations throughout The District Detroit on Jan. 25.

One of the widest-reaching campaigns of its kind across professional sports, the Detroit Tigers Winter Caravan annually visits schools, first responders, community groups, museums and civic events throughout the state. In addition, the Caravan will again visit the fans of Tigers’ Minor League affiliates in Toledo and Grand Rapids.

This year’s Winter Caravan includes more than 20 stops in metro Detroit and beyond, and focuses on some of our most important fans: kids in the community. There will be youth-oriented interactive programs, activities and games at many locations along the caravan route. It’s anticipated that more than 5,000 tickets will be distributed by the Caravan for this season to children and their families.

Finally, based on fan feedback, the ever-popular TigerFest is moving to the summer, leveraging the gorgeous summer weather of Detroit and opening the ballpark to an entire new range of activities and all-access experiences for fans and families.

Learn more about the Winter Caravan at DetroitTigers.com.

‍

The Salvation Army has long been one of the most recognized, compassionate and impactful charitable organizations in the country, serving over 20 million Americans in need annually. They also support a host of community programs that inspire and uplift people of all ages.  

During the 14^th annual Red Wings for Red Kettles this month, the team worked alongside The Salvation Army to ensure kids from Detroit and the region have a safe place to come together, be active and learn the game of hockey.

At four locations across metro Detroit, fans had the opportunity to donate at Salvation Army Red Kettles, personally manned by Red Wings players and hockey operations staff.

With proceeds benefiting The Salvation Army and their STRIVE Floor Hockey Program, donors also had the opportunity to take home autographed items or photos with players for a $10 suggested donation. STRIVE (Student Training for Integrity, Vitality & Education) supports the growth of floor hockey in local communities, teaching kids the basics of hockey before hitting the ice. The program begins in late-winter at recreation centers across the region, and includes teams like the Detroit Temple Titans, who play in the city of Detroit just a few miles from Little Caesars Arena.

Experience this impactful program in the video below.

Last year alone, the Red Wings raised more than $14,000 in just two hours. Join us this holiday season in supporting a great tradition and cause.

Visit DetroitRedWings.com to learn more about The Salvation Army’s STRIVE Floor Hockey Program.

‍