The Detroit Red Wings believe hockey is for everyone. Throughout the year, the team celebrates and elevates ongoing work to support diversity, equity and inclusion for children throughout its home state.

In keeping with year-round efforts to increase access and opportunities for under-represented audiences in hockey, the Red Wings, in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield, celebrated a local Black youth hockey player during each home game in February through its Youth Skater of the Game program.

Each young player got the chance to watch Red Wings players up close and personal during warmups prior to each game from the comfort of their home. This safe, remote experience has been made possible through a unique, telepresence experience located in the bench area, giving each kid a skaters’-eye view of the action.

Youth Skater of the Game is just one of the many programs the Red Wings and their partners execute on and off the ice. Last year, the Red Wings Foundation announced Learn, Play, Score. The Program, which is designed to increase hockey access for kids, is rooted in a commitment to build confidence in character, promote positive values and part enduring life skills to thousands of youth across Detroit.

Learn more at DetroitRedWings.com/Equality.

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In support of the Detroit NAACP Youth Council’s ongoing and critical work in the community, the Detroit Red Wings Foundation is selling a limited-edition Black History Month t-shirt, with proceeds from each purchase benefiting the Detroit NAACP Youth Council and the Detroit Red Wings Foundation to benefit Learn, Play, Score in Detroit.

The Detroit NAACP Youth Council has been at the forefront of youth leadership since its inception in the 1900’s. Home to the largest NAACP youth unit in the Midwest, the award-winning Detroit NAACP Youth Council continuously provides opportunities for young people to get involved in the fight for social justice advocacy.

Learn more about the Red Wings’ Black History Month programming at DetroitRedWings.com/Equality. Learn more about the Detroit NAACP Youth Council and how you can help at DetroitNAACP.org.

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Vissing will lead all domestic and international operations for the global pizza brand

Little Caesars Pizza, the global family-owned pizza chain, has announced that Paula Vissing, previously senior vice president of international, has been named chief operating officer. In the newly created role, Vissing will oversee all domestic and international operations during a period of incredible growth for the world’s third largest pizza brand.

“Paula has an impressive track record within the company and has successfully led our international division for the last five years, which continues to see record-breaking results year after year,” David Scrivano, president and CEO of Little Caesars, said. “I am thrilled to congratulate her on her new role as Chief Operating Officer. Paula is a highly respected and proven leader within Little Caesars and there is nobody better suited to oversee global operations.”

Vissing has been with Little Caesars since 2011. As the Senior Vice President of International, Vissing was responsible for all Little Caesars locations in more than two dozen countries and territories. Under her leadership, Little Caesars experienced the largest period of international growth in the company’s 60+ year history. Previously, Vissing was vice president of purchasing and quality assurance, where she led cost-saving and sourcing initiatives that supported Little Caesars growth in the U.S. Vissing has also led global supply chain expansion, enabling international development efforts across the globe.

“It is an exciting time for the company as we continue to experience exponential growth both in the U.S. and internationally, and I am honored to have the opportunity to oversee the global operations of Little Caesars,” Vissing said. “I look forward to continuing to work along with the Little Caesars leadership team, and organization as a whole, as we continue to bring great tasting, affordable pizza to families around the world.”

Vissing has more than 25 years’ experience in the restaurant industry providing strategic leadership for national brands. A Kentucky native, she received a B.S. in economics from the University of Louisville and an M.B.A. from the University of Kentucky.

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Little Caesars, home of the Pizza Portal© pickup, is bringing back its much-loved Pretzel Crust Pizza to its U.S. restaurants following a two-year hiatus and unwavering requests by enthusiastic customers, including a Change.org petition calling for the pizza to be made available once again.

Customers can get their soft pretzel fix from the pizza starting Feb. 22, available nationwide for a limited time for only $6 (plus applicable tax) at participating locations.**

First introduced as a limited-time promotion in 2014, the Pretzel Crust Pizza is a large buttery-flavored soft pretzel crust pizza with creamy cheddar cheese sauce, mozzarella and Muenster cheeses and pepperoni.  And now, the salty, savory treat can be amped up with an optional cheese-stuffed crust or customized with the traditional Little Caesars pizza sauce made from vine-ripened tomatoes.

In a unique twist, Little Caesars has hidden codes in athlete social media content, a radio spot, and even in the middle of the desert. These codes allow customers to unlock pretzely prizes like Pretzel Crust pizza shoes, a Pretzel Crust area rug, and a Pretzel Crust-themed moped. Finders of these Pretzel Crust codes can enter them at unlockpretzelcrust.com to discover if they have won some of these exclusive prizes.

“Pretzel Crust fans, we hear you,” Jeff Klein, senior vice president of global marketing for Little Caesars, said. “This pizza is still our most popular product request on social media, and we’re excited to bring it back to the masses while treating customers to a few surprises along the way.”

Starting Feb. 22, customers can order a Pretzel Crust pizza with their choice of sauce with a stuffed or traditional crust and pre-pay via the Little Caesars app for pickup or delivery.** For pickup orders, customers can collect the order using the Pizza Portal® contactless pickup, and delivery orders are fulfilled with contactless delivery.  Beginning the week of March 1, the relaunched pizza will also be available for pickup in-store with no need to order ahead.

** Plus, tax where applicable. Available at participating locations. Prices may vary. Prices higher in AK, HI, and third-party online sites. Small order fee for delivery orders less than $10.

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In just three hours, the Detroit Tigers sold out its approximately 2,000-person per-game capacity for games at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium during 2021 Spring Training. This high level of demand came in response to the first chance for Tigers fans to watch their team take the field in-person since March 12, 2020.

“There’s a reason Tigers fans are the best in baseball, and today’s remarkable show of support for our ballclub confirms just that,” Chris Granger, group president of Sports and Entertainment for Ilitch Holdings, said. “There’s a lot of optimism surrounding the team as we begin a new season, and we’re thrilled that fans have responded in such a strong way. I’d like to commend our staff in Lakeland and Detroit for their hard work so that we can safely welcome fans back into the stands, beginning with Grapefruit League action.”

Capacity is limited to around 20 percent of the more-than-9,000-seat facility. Seats were sold in “pods,” ranging from one to six seats in size. Each pod will be at least six feet from others in all directions and have aisle access. Also, the outfield berm will be marked off in six-by-six-foot spaces for groups of four or fewer.

Learn more about the Tigers’ spring training at Tigers.com/SpringTraining.

For the Tigers Spring Training 2021 roster, visit Tigers/roster.

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John Perkins Jr. believes in the power of giving back. As someone who found his passion while helping construct the award-winning Little Caesars Arena, John understands that building structures can also be a platform for building careers.

John was born and raised in Detroit. His father, John Perkins Sr., was a self-employed carpenter who built affordable housing and laundromats in his east side community.

In 2014, John became interested in following in his father’s footsteps. He started attending the Detroit Carpentry Apprenticeship School in Ferndale, Mich., and began taking night classes in construction management at Oakland Community College.

The following year, John began his apprenticeship with Toole’s Contracting. He was inspired by the construction of Little Caesars Arena, and repeatedly sought to work on the project.

Eventually, John’s persistence was rewarded. He became the youngest person working on site at Little Caesars Arena, and one of nearly 1,000 apprentices and pre-apprentices working at Little Caesars Arena and other construction sites throughout The District Detroit.  

In 2017, John earned his associate degree in construction management from Oakland Community College. In recognition of his hard work, he was invited to speak at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Little Caesars Arena on Sept. 5, which, John said, was “a huge deal for me and my family.”

In that same year, John founded the Legacy Development Foundation with the goal of bringing pre-apprenticeship opportunities to the youth in the community.

“I was building a world-class arena for my city — rebuilding the city that built me,” John said. When John would run into old friends, he’d tell them about his new, exciting career in the skilled trades.

“They’d say, ‘Wow, we’re from the same neighborhood and went to the same high school. How’d I not know about these opportunities?’” At that point, John said a lightbulb went off in his head.  “I realized I could go back to the neighborhood I’m from and the high school I went to, to present these opportunities and see them grow and succeed.”

John continues to be fueled by the passion of providing opportunities to others and following the strong example set by his father.

Learn more about John Perkins and the Legacy Development Foundation in the video below.

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Paola Remus, director of operations, South Florida, has been a part of the Little Caesars family company for more than a decade.

Paola was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico. She studied communications at Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla and moved to the U.S. alone at age 20 with just two suitcases and $50 to continue her education. She studied business administration at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, and worked part-time at a florist and restaurants.

In 2009, Paola was hired as co-manager of a Chicago Little Caesars store. Through perseverance, as well as personal and professional growth which she attributes to her colleagues, Paola advanced, and, today, oversees all stores operating within the South Florida region. She is also a member of the Ilitch Companies Diversity, Equity and Inclusion task force, which was created to build upon policies, programs and practices related to diversity and inclusion issues.

“Little Caesars is the family I don’t have here,” Paola said. “It was the first place where I found people who believed in me and accepted me for who I am. They embrace that you’re unique, and you can be yourself. Everything that I know about business today, I learned here.”

Learn more about Paola in the video below.

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In honor of Black History Month, the Detroit Tigers connected with talented local artists and invited them to create Tigers-themed wallpaper — featuring Tigers players, logos, symbols and artifacts — through which they can share their perspective on the impact of African Americans in Detroit Tigers history.

Throughout February, their work will be shared on Twitter (@Tigers), along with a brief biography of each contributor. Fans can view and download the artwork from these posts. Learn more about these incredible artists and how they translated heritage to canvas below.

Isaac Carroll

Carroll is a junior at College for Creative Studies in Detroit, majoring in Fine Arts. His work, which represents black culture, is shaped by painting and fashion, along with a fascination of color, power and beauty.

Carroll uses materials like acrylic, oil paint and even clothes as his surface to embody various emotions, including love, anger, happiness, and his willingness to succeed.

Jay Harris

Harris is a freelance designer with a passion for turning his thoughts into visual art. He’s expanded his creative arsenal through Adobe Creative Suite to create digital media experiences through static, motion and video content. As an emerging designer in the community, Harris seeks to think outside the box and push the envelope.

Victoria McCaskill

McCaskill is a 19-year-old artist and entrepreneur. Before she’d even learned to talk, McCaskill began drawing and painting with whatever materials she could find. From charcoal and clay to music and computers, McCaskill has explored her artistry with purpose — primarily, these days, through aesthetics and technology. She’s an idealist at heart, and believes the sky’s the limit as she tests her potential and fuels her desire for growth.

Marcus “Mars” Simpson

Simpson says he’s called to help people bring their visions to life. As a graphic designer, illustrator, creative director, copywriter and brand builder, he’s well positioned to do so. He recently launched MarsPrimo.com, where he provides an array of creative services for startups and established businesses alike. “In exercising my gift of creativity, I’ve come to know true freedom,” Simpson said. “I wake up excited every day to manifest new opportunities!”

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Little Caesars Makes Pizza Delivery Even More Affordable

Little Caesars will offer free* delivery for today, Feb. 9, for orders of $10 or more placed online at LittleCaesars.com or through the Little Caesars app. This incredible offer celebrates National Pizza Day and follows Little Caesars’ recent announcement that it provides the “Lowest Priced Pizza Delivered. Guaranteed.” **

“We believe that everybody has the right to pizza night, and that’s especially true on National Pizza Day,” said Jeff Klein, senior vice president of global marketing at Little Caesars, “We hope our customers will enjoy this free offer and celebrate our favorite holiday with us.”

Delivery orders are stored in the heated Pizza Portal® until the moment they are picked up by delivery drivers, ensuring the customer has a hot, fresh tasting pizza.  Customers also experience a contactless delivery, with drivers leaving the order in a safe location to limit person-to-person contact. Once an order is placed, customers can follow their meal using the Pizza Tracker in the Little Caesars app or on the website to receive real-time updates, learn when their pizza has left the store and when they can expect it to arrive at their front door.

Little Caesars is home of the 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. 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.  Pizzas are baked in 475-degree ovens and never touched after baking.

* Free delivery offer for online orders of $10 or more (excludes third party online sites). Small order fee for orders less than $10. Taxes still apply. Limit one free delivery offer per person. Delivery available from participating locations with online orders only. Offer available only on 2/9/21.

**Lowest price claim is based on the price, on a national basis, of an online delivered pizza order with all delivery fees for the top four national pizza chains (excluding third party online sites). Comparison based on a large Little Caesars pizza, with up to five toppings, ordered from LittleCaesars.com, and the other three national pizza chains’ comparable large pizza(s), sold at every day menu prices with all delivery fees. Delivery available from participating locations. Plus tax. For guarantee terms, visit www.information.littlecaesars.com/en-us/lowestpriceguarantee.

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