Matthew Stafford returns for annex, Open House lights up the gym

Friday, April 22 was a busy day for SAY Play as we hosted two special events, back-to-back, on top of our typical activities.

Kelly and Matthew Stafford returned to Detroit and were joined by SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom, Mayor Mike Duggan,, Councilman Scott Benson, and other community members in celebrating the groundbreaking of the annex to come, called the Kelly and Matthew Stafford & Friends Education Center. The 20,000-square-foot facility, which will open in 2023, will include classrooms, learning labs and an auditorium. But it isn’t just an expansion of our campus; it will allow SAY Detroit to expand its services and house a growing and diverse range of programming, including vocational and technical training for adults.

Current students Jeremiyah J. and Tia C. spoke about their experiences at SDPC, sharing how much they are greeted after school with warm meals, homework help, and the opportunity to create lasting friendships. While Jeremiyah has been attending since SDPC opened in 2015, Tia is a new member, but their growth has been nurtured just the same.

Students in the Drone Apprenticeship Program also coordinated a drone “flyover” to celebrate Stafford’s Super Bowl championship!

Watch highlights from the event here ⬇️

Just as the shovels were packed away from the groundbreaking, our program partners pulled in to set up for our open house event for SAY Play families. The student-lead event offered current SAY Play members and their parents and guardians the opportunity get a personal, interactive view into the 20+ activities available to and enjoyed by our students. Games, prizes, music, dancing, Detroit Water Ice, and facility tours were also provided, as was the opportunity to register early for summer camp.

This student-lead event consisted of games, prizes, music, dancing, @detroitwaterice, and gave all of our students a better understanding of the 20+ extracurricular activities and sports we have to offer right here on our campus!

Also on hand to answer questions and provide live demonstrations were instructors and representatives from our partner organizations, including Hidden Genius, Love of Literacy Foundation, Bridge Builders (who are offering a new summer camp weekend in August just for single parents and their families), Notes for Notes, Temate Institute for Black Dance and Culture, Building Better Men, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Detroit, ExamExperts,

Parents & guardians also had the opportunity to sign up for parent-specific programs as well!

Thank you to all of the parents and students who explored all of the tables and signed up for summer camp!