Goodfellows Selling Papers For Children

DETROIT, - Members of the Old Newsboys Goodfellow Fund of Detroit will once again take to the streets of Detroit for the groups 95th Annual Sales Day & Parade on Monday, November 30 starting at 5:30 a.m.

Hundreds of Detroit Goodfellows and Detroit Police officers will sell a special Goodfellow edition of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News in various locations throughout Detroit starting at 5:30 a.m. Newspapers are sold for any donation and all money raised goes toward the Detroit Goodfellows 2009 fundraising goal of $1.4 million to provide Goodfellow holiday gift packages to 36,000 needy Detroit area children aged 4 - 13. Previous Sales Days have typically raised over $100,000.

Detroit Goodfellows President Debbie Michelson will sell newspapers starting at 5:30 a.m. at Cadillac Place (former General Motors building) located at 3044 W. Grand Blvd. (at Second). At 8:30 a.m., Detroit Tigers mascot PAWS will join the Goodfellows and police selling papers at the Old Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street.

Other locations where Goodfellows, Detroit Police officers and Detroit firefighters will be selling newspapers on November 30 are:
· Ren Cen - inside the building
· Detroit Fire Dept. - Washington Blvd.
· Coleman A. Young Municipal Center
· Old Wayne County Building - 600 Randolph
· Penobscot Building
· Detroit News (lobby)
· Eastern Market - Russell & Market St. (Freeway Service Dr.)
· Detroit Post Office - 1401 W. Fort Street
· One Detroit Center - Woodward and Larned

At 10:00 a.m. the Detroit Goodfellows, Mayor Bing and several dignitaries will break from selling newspapers to gather for a group photo and parade starting at the Old Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph. This years parade will feature a band from the Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences. A traditional highlight of the Detroit Goodfellows parade is when it stops at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center to serenade office workers.

The Detroit Goodfellows and Detroit Police officers are working to ensure that there is No kiddie without a Christmas -- the Goodfellows motto since it was founded in 1914. The Detroit Goodfellows goal this year is to raise $1.4 million for the holiday gift package program, as well as various other initiatives to benefit Detroit children in need. So far, approximately $346,414.20 has been raised which is 25% of the goal.

With all donations collected, Detroit Goodfellows will distribute 36,000 gift packages through Detroit Police precincts to needy children in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park from December 7 - 19. New this year, 900 teddy bears will be given to little boys age 4, along with 13,000 dolls given to little girls aged 4-11, as part of the Goodfellow gift packages containing books, warm clothes, toys and candy. The packages will be provided to children whose names were submitted by public, private, parochial and charter school officials. It is estimated that one out of every three Detroit public schoolchildren receives a Detroit Goodfellows holiday gift box.

Tax-deductible donations may be sent to: The Old Newsboys Goodfellow Fund of Detroit, P.O. Box 44444, Detroit, MI 48244-0444. Donations may also be made using the organizations secure website: www.detroitgoodfellows.org  

Founded in 1914, the Detroit Goodfellows is the original and oldest Goodfellow organization and is not affiliated with any other Goodfellow group. It also sponsors an emergency dental program for children, awards scholarships through Wayne State University, provides free shoes to children in need and helps send hundreds of needy children to camp each summer.