The Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit will hold its 30th annual Tribute Breakfast at 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 13 at Cobo Center. The breakfast will honor Paul W. Smith, WJR radio host, with the Edward H. McNamara Goodfellow of the Year Award. A young community member, who is yet to be announced, will be recognized as the Ernest Lofton Junior Goodfellow of the Year. The public is encouraged to nominate candidates for the award.
The Edward H. McNamara Goodfellow of the Year Award is given to noteworthy individuals who have contributed to the community.
The Junior Goodfellow of the Year Award recognizes a young person in the community who has made a positive difference. The award was first created to honor Ernest Lofton, the longtime Detroit Goodfellow and United Auto Workers labor leader, who worked to advance the Goodfellow organization’s effort to make a difference in the lives of the children of Detroit. He was a Detroit Goodfellows recipient himself as a child.
Nominations for the Junior Goodfellow of the Year Award can be submitted via email to Sari Klok-Schneider at sarigoodfellows@gmail.com. Nominees should be age 13-18, have performed community service or other volunteer activities that helped people in need, and reside in Detroit, Highland Park, Harper Woods, River Rouge, or Hamtramck (the communities the Detroit Goodfellows serve). Nominations should include the candidate’s name, why he or she should be recognized with the honor, and contact information for the person making the nomination. Nominations must be received by Aug. 20.
Revenue raised at the Tribute Breakfast will support the Detroit Goodfellows’ 2019 fundraising goal of $1.1 million, which will fund 30,000 holiday gift packages containing clothing, books, toys, and candy for children in need in the Detroit Goodfellows’ service communities.
Tickets for breakfast are $150 each. Special $5,000 and $10,000 Santa Circle tables are also available. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Sari Klok-Schneider, director of Goodfellows, at (586) 775-6139 or via email. Tickets may also be purchased at www.detroitgoodfellows.org.
The Detroit Goodfellows, founded in 1914, is the original and oldest Goodfellows organization and holds a four-star rating (the highest available) from Charity Navigator, which provides donors with information regarding charitable organizations. The Detroit Goodfellows sponsors a dental program for children through the University of Detroit Mercy Dental School, awards scholarships through Wayne State University, provides free shoes to children in need, and helps send hundreds of children to camp every summer.
