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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Service. Pride. Commitment. First responders make incredible sacrifices to keep our community safe and secure. They humbly put their lives on the line to serve and protect, representing the best of the best in this city.

Paying homage, the Detroit Red Wings and fans honored first responders from local communities across metro Detroit with “Hometown Heroes Night” at Little Caesars Area. Members of the Detroit Fire Department, Police Department and EMS were warmly and enthusiastically applauded for their remarkable service and dedication to the community. The event attracted first responders from throughout the region and state to be recognized.

For head coach Jeff Blashill, it’s personal. His father was a Detroit Police officer from 1965–’75. Before and after games, Blashill makes time to meet one-on-one with law enforcement officers to show his appreciation for their vital service to the community.

“Law enforcement has been a big part of our family,” says Blashill. “It was really important to me to have that opportunity to bring in people in law enforcement and simply say, ‘thank you.’”

Learn more about how the Detroit Red Wings engage with and give back to the community at DetroitRedWings.com.

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The Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms with infielders Jonathan Schoop and C.J. Cron on one-year Major League contracts.

“Adding Jonathan and C.J. is a step towards accomplishing our offseason goal of making the ballclub better heading into the 2020 season,” said Detroit Tigers Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, Al Avila. “We’re excited to have them join our organization, and we expect both players will inject significant power to our lineup. Defensively, C.J. will provide stability at first base, while Jonathan will lead the middle of our infield.”

Jonathan Schoop

Schoop, 28, played in 121 games with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, hitting .256/.304/.473 with 23 doubles, one triple, 23 home runs and 59 RBI. He hit 22 home runs as a second baseman, which was the fourth-highest total in all of baseball, while he ranked third with a .478 slugging percentage. The 6-1, 225-pound infielder had five multi-homer games during the season, which was tied for the second most by a second baseman in baseball history, trailing only Chase Utley, who had seven with Philadelphia in 2006.

An American League All-Star in 2017, Schoop has played parts of seven seasons at the Major League level with the Baltimore Orioles (2009-18), Milwaukee Brewers (2018) and the Twins (2019), hitting .257/.295/.449 with 153 doubles, three triples, 133 home runs and 392 RBI. He finished 12^th in AL Most Valuable Player voting in 2017, and has been named AL Player of the Week twice in his career, earning the honor in July 2018 and July 2017. Schoop has appeared for team Netherlands in three World Baseball Classics, appearing in 2009, 2013 and 2017.

A native of Willemstad, Curaçao, Schoop was originally signed by the Baltimore Orioles as a non-drafted free agent in 2008.  He has a daughter, Jae’Lyane Isabelle, and a son, Jae’Lan Elijah. Schoop, who played on the Little League World Series championship team for Willemstad, Curaçao in 2004, is one of 15 players from Curaçao to play Major League Baseball.

C.J. Cron

Cron, 29, appeared in 125 games with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, batting .253/.311/.469 with 24 doubles, 25 home runs and a career-high 78 RBI. Cron’s 25 home runs marked the second straight season that he has hit 25-or-more homers after belting 30 homers in 2018 with Tampa Bay. The 6-4, 235-pound first baseman excelled against lefthanded pitchers last season, hitting .326/.385/.636 with seven doubles, 11 home runs and 31 RBI vs. southpaws.

Cron has played parts of six seasons in the Majors with the Los Angeles Angels (2014-17), Tampa Bay Rays (2018) and Twins (2019), hitting .258/.311/.462 with 120 doubles, six triples, 114 home runs and 365 RBI in 673 games. Cron was a member of the United States team in the 2013 Futures Game.

A native of Fullerton, CA, Cron was selected by the Angels in the first round (17^th overall) of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft. His father, Chris, played briefly in the Majors with the Angels (1991) and Chicago White Sox (1992) and was the manager for Double A Erie from 2011-13, while his brother, Kevin, is a first baseman in the Diamondbacks organization and made his Major League debut in 2019.

A corresponding 40-man roster move will be announced later.

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Detroit Tigers legend Lou Whitaker will hold a permanent place of honor at Comerica Park. The team announced Tuesday that they’ll retire Whitaker’s number 1 next season. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Aug. 29, prior to a game against the Red Sox. He’ll become the 10th player to have his name and number on the outfield wall at Comerica Park.

A perennial fan favorite, one of the greatest to ever wear the Olde English “D,” and a key member of the iconic ’84 World Series champs, Lou Whitaker will hold a permanent place of honor at Comerica Park.

The team announced today that they’ll retire Whitaker’s number 1 next season during a ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 29. Whitaker will become just the 10th player to have his name and number on the outfield wall at Comerica Park.

“The Detroit Tigers are one of the most storied franchises in the history of America’s pastime,” said Detroit Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch. “Tradition. History. Championships. Generations of fans have supported this baseball team with pride and passion — as countless all-time Tiger greats have taken the field. What a thrill it was to watch Lou Whitaker grace the diamond for nearly two decades — a gifted talent in this glorious game. Without question, ‘Sweet Lou’ is one of the greatest players to ever wear the Olde English ‘D.’ His hustle. His grit. His dedication. On behalf of Tigers fans everywhere, it was a tremendous honor to call Lou a short time ago to inform him that the Tigers are retiring his iconic #1 at Comerica Park during the 2020 season — where his name and number will occupy hallowed space alongside his longtime partner up the middle — Alan Trammell.”

Widely respected throughout the game, Whitaker played for the Detroit Tigers from 1977–1995.

“There aren’t a whole lot of words that could describe how I’m feeling right now – but surreal might be the closest one. It was the honor of my life to wear the Olde English ‘D’ for all 19 years of my career and share the diamond with so many talented ballplayers along the way. I’d like to thank the Ilitch family and the ballclub’s leadership for bestowing this honor on me, and I’m already looking forward to celebrating with all the great Tigers fans at Comerica Park next August!”

Longtime friend and fellow Tiger Alan Trammell enthusiastically weighed in on the historic announcement with the following heartfelt message.

To learn more about the ceremony and purchase tickets, visit Tigers.com/Lou.

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