The Detroit Tigers are giving young fans a chance to be a part of the excitement of Opening Day. The Tigers are now accepting nominations for children ages 5-14 who are interested in participating in the Detroit Tigers “Kids Opening Day” on Sunday, April 7. The Tigers will host the New York Yankees. On Opening Day, 21 winners will receive four complimentary tickets to the game in addition to having the opportunity to participate in one of the following ways:

• Ceremonial first pitch (one child)
• Announce the starting lineup of Fox Sports Detroit (one child)
• Announce the starting lineup on 97.1 FM The Ticket (one child)
• Announce the starting lineups on the Comerica Park Public Address (two children)
• Announce the first two Detroit Tigers batters in the first inning (two children)
• Honorary ticket takers (two child­ren)
• Honorary ground crew (two children)
• Honorary kids take the field (nine children)
• Lineup card delivery (one kid)

“Kids Opening Day” will mark the first “Sunday Kids Day” promotion from the baseball organization of the season. During each Sunday home game, any kid 14 and younger will receive a free promotional item, free rides on the Comerica Bank Carousel or the Fly Ball Ferris Wheel, get their face painted and have a chance to win a bicycle. And then there is the traditional “Kid Run the Bases” after the game.

In order to enter, a parent or legal guardian must submit a 250 word or fewer essay answering the question, “How do you and your child pledge to live a healthy lifestyle this summer?” Kids are allowed to write the essays, but it must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian.

The first “Every Kid, Every Sunday” giveaway for children attending the game will be a Kids Opening Day Magnet Schedule.

For more information, including official entry rules, and to submit a nomination, visit tigers.com/kidsopeningday. The deadline for submissions is March 22 at 5 p.m.

He was never supposed to make it. They were never supposed to succeed. He is Bryant George. They are Alonte Sims, Tywonn Mitchell, Curron Thomas, Scott Jackson, Donald Owens and Dominick Altman. Black boys! The odds are dismal for a Black boy growing up in the inner city of Detroit, with meager resources, not a lot of guidance, an inferior education and not enough money to live on.

George defied the odds; he beat the streets. “The streets, where just making it to the age of 25 is quite an achievement compared to the majority of my childhood peers who are now incarcerated, deceased, or stuck” says George.

He used his athletic skills to create a path to success out of a seemingly hopeless situation. In high school, George received a Real Life 101 scholarship, laptop and a personal mentor. Madonna University took a chance on him. He was admitted, received a scholarship and competed on the Crusader basketball and cross country teams. With a 4.0 GPA his last two years, George was inducted into two national honor societies at Madonna. A criminal justice major, he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2010. He was the first minority student to intern with the U.S Marshal Service, United States Secret Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Agency.

Today, George works diligently and with great passion, giving back to Detroit and his alma mater. He serves as mentor, leader, and father-figure for 17 at-risk young men, who are currently pursuing four year degrees at Madonna University. And although, nationally, African American male students have a 35 percent graduation rate while attempting a four-year degree, under George’s leadership, six finished on the Dean’s List and to date the retention rate is 100% Through his role as an admissions officer and coordinator in the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Madonna, George is pushing harder; the third group of students are anxiously waiting to begin their college careers at Madonna in the fall of 2013. “To recruit, enroll, and retain these students is an honor from God, and I take no credit for this kind of service,” says George.

So what’s his formula? “These young men lack discipline, someone they can continuously depend on, and the passion to acquire knowledge,” says George. He, along with Madonna University faculty, staff, and current students, try to instill these traits. The Real Life 101 program is their mentor village off campus.

George keeps the students busy. They meet weekly (a session that requires a tie and white shirt) to discuss the past week’s successes and challenges. There are church services, football games, conferences on success and leadership, and community activities, such as Bridging Lost Gaps (BLG), a pre-college program originated by George.

Through the BLG program, current students become guest speakers as they bring their college experience to Detroit public school students from prior events such as the Real Life 101 annual gala, professional development sessions hosted by Compuware Corporation, and the Mentoring Today’s Youth dinner with former Indianapolis head coach Tony Dungy and Sid E. Taylor.

“I don’t think they (students) really appreciated what I was trying to teach them about succeeding at real life until Thanksgiving Day (2011), when we fed the homeless and visited a juvenile detention center,” says George.
He knew he was succeeding when he received a call from a mother thanking him, “My son doesn’t want to come home,” she said. “You may have saved his life and another statistic on the local news broadcast.”

“Leaders think and talk about the solutions, followers think and talk about the problems. I have to be a part of the solution by all means” says George.

George’s mentor, Dr. Terry Gordon, said, “It doesn’t get any better than this. I mentor Bryant through some of life’s hurdles and he turns around and gives back in a tangible, meaningful way.”

Some see stories, on the nightly news, that involve “at risk” youth getting into trouble, and they only hope that someone will do something.

Bryant George has decided to act. His mission is to take boys and make them real men. 

Detroit, MI (February) – Join Filmmaker and Native Detroiter, Qasim “Q” Basir, for an in depth conversation about what it takes to make movies in the film industry. How often have you gone to the movies and afterwards thought, “I’ve got an idea for a movie..” What would it take someone to have an idea, develop a script, actually get that movie made and shown on the big screen? Writer/Director Qasim Basir will share his knowledge and insights about the business of making films at an open forum this weekend in Downtown Detroit.

About the Filmmaker
In 2010, Basir directed his first full-feature film, Mooz-lum, starring Nia Long, Danny Glover, Evan Ross and Roger Guenveur Smith. The movie debuted at the 14th Annual Urban World Film Festival in New York and received the honor of Best Narrative Feature. The film was also an official selection at the Chicago International Film Festival and the 34th Cairo International Film Festival. Through a partnership with AMC and Eventful, Mooz-lum was released nationally in February 2011. The film received independent theatrical distribution in Canada, the UK, Dubai, and Kuwait, as well as DVD, television and digital distribution.

On the heels of the one year anniversary of his first film, Basir has teamed up with Producer, Tommy Oliver and Executive Producer; Hill Harper for his next project entitled “Destined.” Actors, currently attached to the film include Omar Epps, Mekhi Phifer, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Keri Hilson and Michael Rainey Jr.

“A Conversation with: FILMMAKER QASIM “Q” BASIR” will take place on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at D:hive (1253 Woodward Ave Detroit, MI 48226) from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. For additional information, contact Trinity Film Coalition at (313) 685-3124. This event is free and open to the public. Whether you are an aspiring filmmaker, actor or movie enthusiast, this is sure to be an engaging discussion for all to enjoy.

About Trinity Film Coalition
Located in Detroit, Michigan, Trinity Film Coalition provides a platform for independent filmmakers to showcase their talent and hosts an annual Film Festival.