Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund sales day & parade to deliver holiday spirit

The holiday feeling will be in full force as members of the Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit take to the streets for the 103rd Annual Sales Day & Parade on Monday, Nov. 28, starting at 5:30 a.m. Detroit Goodfellows, Detroit police officers and Detroit firefighters will sell a special "Goodfellow edition" of The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press in various locations throughout the city. Newspapers are sold for any donation amount and all money raised goes toward the Detroit Goodfellows' 2016 fundraising goal of $1.1 million to provide Goodfellow holiday gift packages to 34,000 needy Detroit area children aged 4-13. Previous Sales Days have typically raised over $40,000. Detroit Goodfellows President Robert Costello will sell newspapers starting at 6 a.m. at Cadillac Place (former General Motors building) located at 3044 W. Grand Blvd. (at Second). He will be joined by the organization's two vice presidents, Marshall Hunt and Mike Jennings. Other locations where Goodfellows, police officers and firefighters will be selling newspapers on Nov. 28 are: - Comerica's Michigan Market Headquarters 411 W. Lafayette. - Renaissance Center inside the building. - Fisher Building 3011 W. Grand Blvd. - DTE Energy. - Penobscot Building 645 Griswold. - One Campus Martius. - Eastern Market Russell Street Deli 2465 Griswold. - One Detroit Center Woodward and Larned. At 10 a.m. several dignitaries will break from selling newspapers to gather for a group photo and parade starting at the Guardian Building, 500 Griswold. Detroit Police Chief James Craig and Wayne County Executive Warren Evans are expected to be present for the group photo. This year's parade will again feature the marching band from Detroit's Renaissance High School and a special appearance by PAWS, the official mascot of the Detroit Tigers. 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 $1.1 million for the holiday gift package program, as well as various other initiatives to benefit Detroit area children in need. So far, approximately $345,971 has been raised to date which is 31.4% of this year's goal of $1.1 million. With all donations collected, Detroit Goodfellows will distribute 34,000 gift packages through Detroit police precincts to needy children in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Harper Woods and River Rouge from Dec. 5-17. This year 10,000 dolls will be given to little girls aged 4-9 as part of the Goodfellow gift packages containing books, warm clothes, toys and candy. Four-year-old boys will receive a stuffed animal as part of theirs. 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 organization's secure website: www.detroitgoodfellows.org. For more information contact Detroit Goodfellows Director Sari Klok-Schneider at 586-775-6139 or sarigoodfellows@gmail.com. Founded in 1914, the Detroit Goodfellows is the original and oldest Goodfellows 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. Published: Thu, Nov 24, 2016