Photo credits: Andrew Mullin - 760 WJR

On December 7, S.A.Y. Detroit Founder and 760 WJR host Mitch Albom aired live from the Somerset Collection in Troy, as community leaders and celebrities dropped in to talk on the broadcast and help raise donations. Notable guests included CNN‘s Anderson Cooper, Motown legend Smokey Robinson, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, actor Tim Allen, actor Hugh Jackman, and comedian George Lopez. At the end of the 15-hour broadcast, $2,064,014 million in donations had been raised from the 12th annual S.A.Y. Detroit Radiothon.

Paul W. Smith (on far right) joined Mitch Albom for the SAY Detroit Radiothon LIVE at the Somerset Collection in Troy.

Funds raised during the Radiothon work to support Albom’s S.A.Y. Detroit nonprofit, a collection of programs that help Detroit residents with healthcare and housing. These include the S.A.Y Detroit Family Health Clinic, Better Together, MI-Cycle, Working Homes/Working Families, and the Hole In The Roof Foundation.

This year’s donation topped the 2022 marathon’s $1.86 million raised. One of the highest contributions of the day was from Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, who announced a $350,000 commitment to S.A.Y. Detroit, which includes $100,000 allocated for kids at the SAY Play Center to deploy at the facility.

“The things we’ve done together the last few years involved giving and philanthropy, and business and entrepreneurship, and then creative storytelling,” Gores said. “Now I’d love for the kids to use all these skills that they’ve learned, and in a way that is both fun and educational, which is part of the mission at SAY Play that’s always impressed me.”

“Our kids would more than happily make recommendations,” Albom said in response to Gore’s donation. “I promise you, we will come up with a very creative program. I think one of the ways that kids who we’re helping can learn is to learn to help other people themselves.”

The S.A.Y. Detroit Radiothon is broadcast live each December on 760 WJR, at MitchAlbomRadiothon.com, and on WDIV-TV‘s ClickOnDetroit.com.

Since its inception in 2012, the S.A.Y. Detroit Radiothon has raised over $14.5 million to help Detroiters in need, Albom said in a press release. People can learn more at SAYDetroit.org.