NFL hosts community events across Detroit throughout 2024 NFL Draft week
NEW YORK — The NFL announced today a series of community events taking place throughout Detroit as part of the 2024 NFL Draft presented by Bud Light on April 25-27, 2024. From events highlighting the unique role of football in bringing people together to projects centered around community greening and youth wellness, the 2024 NFL Draft community activations aim to leave a positive legacy in Detroit and the surrounding region that resonates long after the final pick.
On Monday, April 22, kicking off the 2024 NFL Draft Week, the NFL will partner with the American Cancer Society to host a Crucial Catch hospital visit in honor of National Minority Health Month (NMHM), which seeks to raise awareness about the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic minority communities and reducing health disparities.
The NFL is committed to building stronger, more resilient communities by equipping students with the skills to form healthy relationships and protect their mental health. In support of this mission, on Tuesday, April 23, the NFL will host a Character Playbook Speaker Series, bringing local students together for a live panel discussion and to participate in activities emphasizing the importance of mental wellness.
On Wednesday, April 24, the NFL will host the Play Football Prospect Clinic with Special Olympics Athletes event. At the clinic, top NFL Draft prospects will participate in flag football drills and play in a Unified Flag Football game with Special Olympics Michigan athletes and their local Detroit area Unified teammates. Draft prospects will also participate in a media availability following the event. This activation comes as the NFL and Special Olympics are expanding their existing partnership to pilot the integration of Unified Flag Football within the existing NFL FLAG league structure.
As part of the NFL’s Inspire Change social justice initiative, on Thursday, April 25, the league will partner with S.H.I.E.L.D. 1 and the Green Boots Veteran Community Urban Farm to increase access to healthy foods, green space and neighborhood employment opportunities in the local Detroit community.
Rounding out the week, on Friday, April 26, the NFL will team up with the Bob Woodruff Foundation – an NFL Salute to Service partner – and Move United to host the first USA Wheelchair Football League Veterans All Star Game. This event will convene the USA Wheelchair Football League’s top players for a special contest between two teams comprised of U.S. Army and USMC/Navy veterans.
Throughout the week the NFL will also partner with the city of Detroit and other local organizations on a series of community greening events through NFL Green. NFL Green, the league’s environmental program, works to mitigate the environmental impact of the NFL’s major events, including the Draft, and create a “green” legacy in communities across the country. NFL Green activations at this year’s Draft include greening projects with the City of Detroit to bring tree equity to lower income neighborhoods in the region and the development of a community garden with Michigan State University and Keep Growing Detroit.
Several events during the week will take place at the historic Corner Ballpark in Detroit. The Corner Ballpark is home to the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL), who in partnership with other community organizations and volunteers, have created a vibrant neighborhood facility that welcomes local youth and promotes wellness. Events at the Corner Ballpark include the Play Football Prospect Clinic with the Special Olympics and an event with NFL Votes partner RISE about promoting civic engagement through sports.
Beyond community events, the NFL is committed to connecting with Detroit through a series of cultural activations that represent the diverse communities of the region. For the first time in its history, the NFL is installing prayer halls at one of its major tentpole events, with the goal of incorporating Detroit’s rich diversity and prioritizing a welcoming and inclusive experience for fans of all faiths. The installation will be designed and constructed by The Led Lion, a local Arab American-owned business. The Led Lion is one of many diverse-owned local businesses that the NFL has contracted for the NFL Draft as a part of its supplier diversity program.
More information about each of these events and other activations taking place throughout the 2024 NFL Draft Week can be found below.
2024 NFL DRAFT WEEK EVENTS AND ACTIVATIONS
All event times in EST
NFL Draft Community Greening Project at the Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning and Innovation (DP-FLI): Saturday, April 20; 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – 16745 Lamphere Street, Detroit, MI
Dozens of community volunteers will join NFL Green, Verizon, the Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning and Innovation and Keep Growing Detroit to plant fruit and nut bearing trees, ornamental trees, and vegetable plants, and beautify the gardens at Michigan State University’s DP-FLI facility.
Crucial Catch Henry Ford Health Patient Visit: Monday, April 22; 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Henry Ford Health, 2800 W. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI
To highlight the importance of effective follow-up care in improving breast cancer outcomes in Detroit, the NFL, Detroit Lions, American Cancer Society, Henry Ford Health, and The Wellness Plan will host a Make Time for Mammogram Day event, along with a healing arts activity for cancer patients and mammogram recipients.
The event highlights Henry Ford Health and The Wellness Plan’s recently awarded American Cancer Society Links to Care Community Grant made possible through the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative focused on creating stronger connections between community health centers and NFL team-affiliated hospitals to ensure patients complete recommended screening, follow-up care, and treatment for improved outcomes. The Links to Care Community Grant was awarded to six pilot NFL markets in 2023. Research suggests art therapy helps relieve the emotional concerns of a cancer diagnosis. Through Links to Care, The Wellness Program and Henry Ford Health are working together to provide quick access to treatment and similar programs that support patients throughout the cancer journey.
Media interested in attending can contact A’Maiya Allen at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
NFL Green Event with the Detroit Tree Equity Partnership on Earth Day: Monday, April 22; 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Patton Park (adjacent to Patton Park Recreation Center), 2301 Woodmere Street, Detroit, MI
The NFL in partnership with the Detroit Tree Equity Partnership (City of Detroit, American Forests, Greening of Detroit, DTE Energy) will host an Earth Day event supporting Detroit’s ongoing urban reforestation program to bring tree equity to lower income neighborhoods. Volunteers will participate in community greening and tree planting activities.
Media interested in attending can contact Ian Martin at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
Character Playbook Speaker Series – NFL Draft: Tuesday, April 23; 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. – Bates Academy, 19701 Wyoming Avenue, Detroit, MI
The Character Playbook Speaker Series – NFL Draft event will bring together panelists from around the League, the Detroit Lions, students local to Detroit, MI and students from across the country who have participated in Character Playbook to discuss themes found in the course, Character Playbook – Building Healthy Relationships and Understanding Mental Wellness. Local students from Bates Academy will have the opportunity to gather for a live panel discussion and participate in activities around character education and mental wellness.
The panel discussion also will be hosted virtually for classrooms across the country interested in participating. Funded by the NFL Foundation, Character Playbook is a digital education resource that supports positive character development, mental wellness and healthy relationships in middle and high school students. The Healthy Relationships program is available nationally to middle school students at no cost to K-12 schools, having reached more than 2 million students nationwide.
Media interested in attending can contact A’Maiya Allen at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
NFL FLAG-In-School Unboxing Event: Tuesday, April 23; 1:15 – 2:15 p.m. – Dixon Educational Learning Academy, 8401 Trinity St, Detroit, MI
On Tuesday, April 23, the NFL in partnership with GENYOUth, a national non-profit whose mission is to help school children thrive by living well-nourished and physically active lives, will host a flag football forum and clinic for students at the Dixon Educational Learning Academy, a local public middle school.
NFL Legend and Global Flag Football Ambassador Bobby Taylor, along with other NFL officials, will demonstrate their on-the-field flag football moves and coach students on the importance of school-based sports in building strong bodies and minds. With fewer than 1 in 4 school-aged youth getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity, the growth of flag football underscores the critical role it plays in inspiring students to develop a lifelong love of sports.
Media interested in attending can contact Avis Roper at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
Play Football Prospect Clinic with Special Olympics Athletes: Wednesday, April 24; 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. – Corner Ballpark – Detroit PAL Headquarters, 1680 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI
The NFL will host a Unified Flag Football event with local Special Olympics athletes and select 2024 NFL Draft prospects. During the event, prospects will meet, participate and play in a flag football game/clinic with Special Olympics Michigan athletes and their local Detroit area unified teammates. NFL Draft prospects will be available to the media following the flag football portion of the event.
Since 2017, the NFL and Special Olympics have partnered together across the country to provide opportunities for athletes of all ages and abilities to ‘PLAY 60’. This partnership also allows people with and without intellectual disabilities to play on the same team through Unified Flag Football. During the 2024 season, the NFL’s partnership with Special Olympics will expand to reach all 32 NFL club markets with Unified Flag Football grants funded by the NFL Foundation.
Media interested in attending can contact Ian Martin at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
NFL and Lowe’s Community Project at Volunteers of America Michigan: Wednesday, April 24; 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Volunteers of America – Michigan, 253 E. Milwaukee Avenue, Detroit, MI
During Draft week, the NFL will come together with its official community improvement partner, Lowe’s, to help renovate and refurbish a building to support local veterans in the metropolitan Detroit area.
Partnering with Salute to Service partner the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) and Detroit-based NFL-BWF grantee Michigan Volunteers of America (VOAMI), this event will focus on multiple renovations to enhance the resources VOAMI uses to support its residents. VOAMI provides critical services, shelter and food for veterans, affordable housing for aging seniors, and supportive services for struggling families.
Lowe’s red vest associates will contribute their time, skills, and resources towards the refurbishment projects throughout the interior and exterior of the VOAMI’s Veteran’s Building. The NFL and Lowe’s will also make an additional donation to the organization to further continue their work and support of our veterans.
Media interested in attending can contact A’Maiya Allen at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
NFL Inspire Change/S.H.I.E.L.D. 1 Event at Green Boots Urban Farm: Thursday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – 13500 Southfield Road, Detroit, MI
As part of the NFL Inspire Change social justice initiative, the NFL and S.H.I.E.L.D 1, a non-profit started by NFL players to accelerate economic mobility in under-resourced communities, will present Green Boots Veteran Community Horticulture Gardens and Marketplace with a GroShed at this event. GroSheds are sheds using hydroponics gardening designed for cold-weather climates that provide access to nutritious, non-toxic, affordable whole foods, even during cold months. GroShed’s desire is to close the gap in the seasonal availability of fresh produce, particularly in under-served communities.
Green Boots is a community institution that provides not just nutritious food options for the surrounding area, but also an opportunity for veterans like its founder, Travis Peters, to address their mental health through gardening.
NFL Legends and players, including Anquan Boldin, Demario Davis and Josh Norman will participate in the event. The group will take part in completing the GroShed set up and joining Green Boots volunteers in various greening projects. Lions Legend Alex Lewis, Lions Cheerleaders and Roary will also take part in the event.
This event is not open to the public. Media interested in attending can contact Morgan Rubin at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
Little Caesars Love Kitchen Event: Thursday, April 25; 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. – COTS Peggy’s Place, 16630 Wyoming Avenue, Detroit, MI
In celebration of the Draft in Detroit, the NFL will come together with its official pizza sponsor, Little Caesars, to host an event for local families in Detroit and surrounding areas. Partnering with COTS Detroit, this event will provide over 300 residents with an afternoon of food, fun and football.
During the event, Detroit-based Little Caesars will set up the Little Caesars Love Kitchen®, a restaurant on wheels that travels across the U.S. to help feed pizza to those in need. In addition to being served a hot meal, attendees will get to enjoy music, games, and meet and greet each other and special guests.
COTS Detroit provides housing assistance for individuals and families facing or experiencing homelessness and offers a comprehensive array of services to those they serve, including housing solutions, coaching programs, and resources. COTS is certified in Mobility Mentoring®, an economic mobility coaching approach that further enhances their ability to support hundreds of families in working towards economic self-sufficiency and create stabilized environments for a multi-generational impact on families.
Media interested in attending can contact Ian Martin at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
Chalk Talk: Thursday, April 25; 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. – HopCat Detroit, 4265 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI
As part of USAA’s year-round commitment to recognize and honor the military and veteran community, USAA, an official NFL Salute to Service Partner, will be hosting Detroit area military service members at a special Salute to Service NFL Draft Chalk Talk and meet and greet with NFL wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The attendees will get to hear directly from Amon-Ra about his draft experience and military appreciation before attending the 2024 NFL Draft.
Media interested in attending can contact Michael Pernal at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
In addition, leading up to the Draft, USAA brought NFL Draft prospects Bo Nix and Joe Alt to Selfridge Air National Guard Base near Detroit to experience a day-in-the-life of military service members. The prospects toured the base, saw multiple military aircraft, and participated in a ride-along in a UH-60 Black Hawk over the site of the NFL Draft in downtown Detroit. This content will be released in the week before the NFL Draft.
USA Wheelchair Football League Veterans All Star Game: Friday, April 26; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Huntington Place, 1 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, MI
The NFL, the Bob Woodruff Foundation – an NFL Salute to Service partner – and Move United are teaming up to host the first USA Wheelchair Football League Veterans All Star Game. The game will convene the USA Wheelchair Football League’s top players for a special contest between two teams comprised of U.S. Army and USMC/Navy veterans. Attendees will also be able to participate in adaptive sports drills.
Media interested in attending can contact Ian Martin at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
Draft Culmination Celebration: Saturday, April 27; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – NFL Draft Hospitality presented by Bud Light, 1140 Farmer St, Detroit, MI 48226
The NFL, in partnership with the Detroit Lions, will host a culmination event to thank more than 150 local community members who have been integral in connecting the league with all facets of the Detroit community during the 2024 Draft. Additionally, the event will bring together local business owners and professionals with leadership from the sports industry for networking opportunities.
NFL Green:
In addition to the media events outlined above, the NFL will partner with the city of Detroit and other local organizations on a series of community greening activations throughout the week through NFL Green, the league’s sustainability initiative. On April 23, the NFL will partner with the Keep Growing Detroit Community Farm to perform extensive spring maintenance of its existing fruit tree orchard.
In addition, as part of its commitment to supporting sustainability efforts around the Draft, NFL partner Verizon is coordinating a reforestation project in and around the Michigan State Forest. 5,180 trees will be planted on state and national forest land during the Spring of 2024 in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. This equals 20 trees for each player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
GENYOUth and NFL FLAG-In-School:
National nonprofit GENYOUth is partnering with the Detroit Sports Commission, the NFL, Alltroo and social media personality Jimmy Darts to help raise funds to bring NFL FLAG-In-School to all middle schools in Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland Counties for the 2024-25 school year. Kicking off the effort during Draft Week, Jimmy Darts, known for his random acts of kindness, will bring a surprise and delight moment to a deserving Detroit female student athlete and FLAG football enthusiast. This will kick off an engaging online charitable initiative on Alltroo.com to level the playing field for girls by helping GENYOUth to bring positive change through youth sports for girls in Detroit and its surrounding counties. For more details, visit Alltroo.com and follow @jimmydarts on social channels.
Youth Football:
Throughout the 2024 NFL Draft Week, the league will partner with the Detroit Lions and other local organizations on a series of events centered around supporting local youth football and athletics in the region. On Friday, April 26, the Lions will host a skills and drills football clinic with local middle school students. On Saturday, April 27, the Lions will host an NFL FLAG Super Regional Tournament with teams from around the country vying for a spot at the NFL FLAG Championships in Canton, OH, in July. Athletes will compete in age ranges from 9u to 18u. For more information on the Lions Super Regional Tournament and NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments throughout the spring visit: https://nflflag.com/events.
Lastly, the NFL/NCAA Sports Administration Development Academy platform will offer a workshop throughout the week providing select college & pro athletics administrators with professional development resources to empower the next generation of leaders to adapt to an evolving sports business landscape.
