February 18, 2011
Press Release

DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION MVP AWARDS BENEFITING THINK DETROIT PAL A SOLD-OUT SUCCESS
News/Talk 760 WJR’s Paul W. Smith honored
 
Detroit, Mich.—Think Detroit PAL’s second-annual MVP event, sponsored by the DTE Energy Foundation, was truly a night to remember. The sold-out award ceremony on February 17th included Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and WJR’s Paul W. Smith.

According to Think Detroit PAL Chief Executive Officer Michael Porter, the purpose of Thursday night’s event was to honor “…some of Think Detroit PAL’s pre-eminent, long time supporters.  Without their involvement, Think Detroit PAL might not even exist, and it certainly would not have had the same level of success at using team sports to build the character of girls and boys in Detroit.”

Smith, of Grosse Pointe, was awarded the Dave Bing MVP Leadership Award.  For years, Smith has been a tireless cheerleader for Detroit and Think Detroit PAL.  Since 2004, the annual Paul W. Smith Golf Classic has been Think Detroit PAL’s top fundraising event.

The Dave Bing MVP Leadership Award was named for the Detroit mayor because of his commitment to revitalizing the city and supporting Detroit youth. At the start of the program, the mayor addressed the attendees.  “Coming to an event like this, honoring an organization like Think Detroit PAL and honoring the individuals who do so much for the city, and so much for our children, makes my job as mayor worthwhile,” Bing said.

“[Paul W. Smith’s] devotion and commitment to Think Detroit PAL are almost indescribable,” Porter said.  “His personal involvement and tireless promotion have made the Paul W. Smith Golf Classic a fundraising powerhouse—he’s raised more than $2.5 million on our behalf.”

In accepting his award, Smith said, “I am a believer in Detroit and in our kids.  If we give them the opportunity to succeed, we are going to have the kind of Detroit, the kind of Michigan, the kind of future, which we hope to have”

Other awards and honorees included: Coach William “Pip” Dooley, awarded with the Varner/Tenbusch Game Changer Award; Detroit Lions’ Tim Pendell, awarded with the John D. Scodellaro Builder Award; Foley & Lardner LLP’s Scott Seabolt, awarded with the John D. Scodellaro Builder Award; and W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Daniel Varner, awarded with the Dave Bing MVP Leadership Award.

The DTE Energy Foundation MVP Awards benefiting Think Detroit PAL could not have been possible without the help of generous sponsors:

Title Sponsor - DTE Energy Foundation
Presenting Sponsors – Foley & Lardner LLP; Coca-Cola Bottling Company; Detroit Lions
Gold Sponsors – Lear Corporation; Signature Associates; Quicken Loans
Silver Sponsors – Bridgewater Interiors LLC; Detroit Tigers Foundation; Duffey, Petrosky & Co.; Ford Motor Company; Penske Corporation; Pepsi Bottling Group; Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP; Star Lincoln, Inc.
Table Sponsors – AAA of Michigan; Ella Dooley; John Scodellaro; Leon Halip; Michael Sabourin; The Skillman Foundation (youth table sponsor)

The following companies and individuals provided much appreciated in-kind donations:

News/Talk 760 WJR
Team Detroit
Berline Advertising
Visibiles Marketing
David Austin, Jeremy Hansen and River’s Edge Gallery
James Kuntz
Crown Trophy
Thrifty Florist

Think Detroit PAL was formed in 2006 by the merger of Think Detroit, Inc. and the Detroit Police Athletic League. In 2010, Think Detroit PAL served over 10,000 girls and boys through our 24 combined sports and academic programs, making it one of the largest youth organizations in the state of Michigan. Think Detroit PAL also trained 1,500 community volunteers on how to be effective coaches and mentors, in an effort to fulfill our mission to make Detroit a great place to be a kid and raise a family.

For more information, please visit http://www.thinkdetroitpal.org or call 313-833-1600.