‘It’s great to do this’: Red Wings, Tigers and Meijer use annual Hometown Holiday Assist to give back to local youth

DETROIT -- On a cloudy and chilly Tuesday evening, the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and Meijer brought warmth and brightened the holiday season for 50 kids from the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) by taking them on a shopping spree at a Meijer store in northwest Detroit as part of the annual Hometown Holiday Assist.

Red Wings assistant coach Jay Varady and 13 players -- captain Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane, Jeff Petry, Joe Veleno, Tyler Motte, Christian Fischer, Albert Johansson, Simon Edvinsson, Justin Holl, Jonatan Berggren and goalie Alex Lyon -- attended this year’s event. Tigers alumni Lance Parish and Dan Petry, as well as Red Wings/Tigers Broadcast Reporter Daniella Bruce, were also on hand to help spread holiday cheer.

“We care so much for this community, and we want to give back in every way we can,” said Ryan Gustafson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment (IS+E). “Around the holidays in particular, it’s really special for us to have an opportunity to bring kids out, show them a great time and just bring joy and smiles to their faces.”

Thanks to the Red Wings, Tigers and Meijer, each child received $250 to use at the store, enjoyed a Little Caesars pizza party and took home a holiday T-shirt.

Larkin, a Waterford, Mich., native, was proud to participate in the 11th annual Hometown Holiday Assist alongside several of his Red Wings teammates.

“Christmas can be a great time with family, but it can also be a little bit difficult,” Larkin said. “So just to see the [kids’] smiles, then flying up and down the aisles, picking out Legos or whatever they wanted, made their day and mine.”

Seider also came away from the event with a heartwarming feeling.

“It’s obviously a great cause to help,” Seider said. “I see a lot of smiles on the kids’ faces, but I see more on our guys’ faces.”

With year-round programs that reach more than 10,000 young athletes and thousands of coaches, Detroit PAL works to help youth find their greatness through athletic, academic and leadership development programs. This year, the non-profit organization celebrated its 55th anniversary of serving young Detroiters and bridging the gap between the community and the police.

“The reality is a lot of families have some challenging times,” said Detroit PAL CEO Fred Hunter. “When you can add something special during the holidays, especially for the kids to have the opportunity to shop with the Red Wings, Tigers and police officers, it’s that partnership where everyone comes together giving something for the benefit of kids and their families.”

Supporting Detroit families and local non-profit organizations during the holiday season, the annual Hometown Holiday Assist is one of many community events that Red Wings players like Berggren are more than happy to be part of.

“It’s so nice to give back to the community,” Berggren said. “You understand how much these sports mean to Detroit. The city backs us up all the time when we play, so it’s great to do this.”