Published: September 24, 2008

Ilitch Charities Donates $200,000 to Facilitate Long-Term Positive Change; Sets August 31, 2009 for 2nd Annual Celebrity Golf Classic at Oakland Hills

DETROIT, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Fun and philanthropy were par for the course at the inaugural Ilitch Charities Celebrity Golf Classic as top Hollywood celebrities, local and national sports stars and media personalities turned out to help raise important funds for the local community. The two-day event kicked off with the Summer Soiree on Sunday, August 24, 2008, at MotorCity Casino Hotel. The golf event was held on Monday August 25, 2008, at the prestigious Oakland Hills Country Club. Both the pre-party and golf outing sold out. Thanks in part to the generous title sponsorship of Buick, GM R Works and MotorCity Casino Hotel, the events helped raise funds to enable Ilitch Charities to present a total of $200,000 to benefit the Greening of Detroit's Conservation Leadership Corps and the Guidance Center's Project CEO.

"Giving back to our community has always been a core value of the Ilitch companies," said Ilitch Charities Chairman Christopher Ilitch, who is also president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. "We're really excited about the level of support we received from celebrities and sponsors. But mostly, we're proud that we were able to raise a significant amount of money to support two innovative programs that will create long-term, positive change in southeasternMichigan, making this a better place for all."

2009 Ilitch Charities Celebrity Golf Classic

Ilitch Charities is pleased to welcome back Buick, GM R Works and MotorCity Casino Hotel as title sponsors for the 2nd Annual Ilitch Charities Celebrity Golf Classic. Once again, a pre-event party will be held Sunday evening, August 30, 2009, at MotorCity Casino Hotel. The Celebrity Golf Classic will be held Monday, August 31, 2009, at Oakland Hills Country Club. Sponsorship packages are available and the event will again raise important funds to support innovative and collaborative programs in the community.

2008 Event Recap

Tim Allen, Mike Binder, Dave Coulier, John Cusack, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Laird Hamilton, Susan Haskell, Thorsten Kaye, and John McGinley were a few of the celebrities that joined current and former Detroit Tigers -- such as Al Kaline, Cecil Fielder, Mickey Stanley and Dave Rozema -- and Detroit Red Wings -- such as Nick Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, Brian Rafalski and Kirk Maltby -- and other sports stars, giving metro Detroiters the unique opportunity to mix and mingle with celebrities for a good cause.

"This was a terrific event for the community," said Wings defenseman Chris Chelios. "SeveralHollywood stars made the trip toDetroit to join the Wings and Tigers and they had a great time. This was a first-class event all the way and as a resident of this community, I was pleased to have the opportunity to support Ilitch Charities and the other beneficiaries."

The 2008 pre-event Summer Soiree was held in the new Grand Ballroom at MotorCity Casino Hotel. Nearly 400 guests enjoyed expertly prepared food, desserts and drinks. The party featured silent and live auctions that included unique items such as autographed sports memorabilia, sports experiences, entertainment packages, cosmetics, jewelry and travel.

The Celebrity Golf Classic was the first event to take place on the courses at Oakland Hills Country Club following the close of the 90th PGA Championship. More than 240 golfers participated in the event and each foursome included one celebrity golfer. The day concluded with the presentation of $100,000 to each of the benefiting charities -- the Greening ofDetroit and the Guidance Center. The beneficiaries were selected from nearly 75 proposals submitted. A panel including representatives from Ilitch Charities and independent third-party entities reviewed the requests for funding and selected two that stood out in terms of their potential for helping Ilitch Charities accomplish its goal of addressing social issues at the root in order to achieve long-term positive change in the community.

The 2008 Beneficiaries

The Greening ofDetroit -- Conservation Leadership Corps Program

The Corps program provides jobs and job training forDetroit youth who care for the city's trees and green spaces. Through the program, youth earn money while being educated in urban ecology and environment, job skills, leadership skills, individual responsibility and philanthropy. Now in its tenth year, the Corps project has employed over 500 Detroit teens and young adults who have earned a combined $850,000 working in the program. It is one of the only programs inDetroit that offers gainful summer employment to low- income African-American youth. The Greening ofDetroit guides and inspires the reforestation of theDetroit area and is located downtown.

The Guidance Center -- Project CEO (Career Employment Outcomes) Project CEO helps vulnerable youth and young adults secure and retain meaningful employment, despite barriers to vocational success. Through the program, nearly 400 youth and young adults will receive high-quality academic, life skills and employment readiness programming, as well as resources to connect them to the labor market. Participants in Project CEO become career-minded, working residents with the power to positively influence their peers and future generations. The Guidance Center is located inSouthgate, Mich., and serves children, adults and families throughout southeastMichigan.

About Ilitch Charities

Ilitch Charities invests in the community's future by supporting innovative, collaborative and measurable programs that promote economic development and spur job growth. The organization funds programs that improve the well being of individuals in areas such as human services, job creation, education and recreation. For more information, visit IlitchCharities.org . Ilitch Charities is affiliated with the companies owned by Michael and/or Marian Ilitch, long-timeDetroit entrepreneurs. Ilitch companies include: Ilitch Holdings, Inc., Little Caesars Pizza, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Champion Foods, the Detroit Red Wings, Olympia Entertainment, Little Caesar Pizza Kits Fundraising Program, Olympia Development and Uptown Entertainment. Additionally, Michael Ilitch owns the Detroit Tigers. Marian Ilitch owns MotorCity Casino Hotel.

SOURCE Ilitch Charities

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