DETROIT – The Detroit Lions announced today the 2020 recipients of Touchdown in Your Town, now presented by Kroger.
The six recipients are Carrollton High School (Saginaw), Flint Southwestern Classical Academy (Flint), Harper Woods High School (Harper Woods), Annapolis High School (Dearborn Heights), Lawton High School (Lawton), and Superior Central High School (Eben Junction).
“Like the Detroit Lions, we are committed to our communities in which we live and serve,” said Rachel Hurst, Corporate Affairs Manager, The Kroger Co. of Michigan. “It takes a team to help uplift and support underserved communities. During these unprecedented times, it is more important than ever that we continue to support safe football programs that empower youth and their future.”
In collaboration with Kroger, Riddell and the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, the program provides support to schools in need in the form of equipment, technology, apparel and/or grant funding.
Detroit Lions Charities will be providing a total of $110,000 in grants for the 2020 program. Each school will also receive a $3,000 chocolate milk grant from the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. Five-out-of-the six schools will receive Riddell SpeedFlex Helmets, while the sixth will use their grant funding for other equipment and field amenities.
“We’re enthusiastic about the response we received from schools across the state. We opened the application process in February and received 58 applications from 37 counties across the state of Michigan,” said Jen McCollum, Senior Director of Community Relations and Detroit Lions Charities. “Schools were chosen based on need, merit, inclusion of a compelling narrative and projected impact. The applications were reviewed by the Touchdown in Your Town Review Committee, which consists of invested partners and members of our organization.”
In lieu of in-person celebrations due to COVID-19, the team surprised each school with a congratulatory video message from Detroit Lions players including Matthew Stafford, Trey Flowers, Frank Ragnow, TJ Hockenson, Jahlani Tavai, Kerryon Johnson and Justin Coleman. Athletes and coaches from the schools are also invited to participate in an exclusive virtual conversation with current and former players later in the season.
About The Kroger Co. At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
About Detroit Lions Charities Detroit Lions Charities supports transformational efforts in underserved communities, working to create long-lasting impact through meaningful partnerships with local non-profits. Throughout the year, the Detroit Lions work to raise awareness and funding for these organizations, prioritizing critical needs in the community, with an emphasis on youth development, access and opportunity, and social justice initiatives in Detroit.
