Touching Communities. Touching Lives.™

A PUBLICATION OF MGM GRAND March • 2017 MGM Grand Detroit: United by a mission to serve our neighbors and region By Scot Talley Special to the Michigan Chronicle

“Touching Communites. Touching Lives.” More than a catchy, copyrighted phrase, MGM Grand Detroit and its team members have atempted to make these words mater for the beterment of our city and region since MGM Grand Detroit opened its doors on July 29,1999. One of the most impactul ways that MGM Grand Detroit touches communites and lives in our area is through the MGM Resorts Foundaton. Continue on page 3

Inside This Issue • Grants from MGM Resorts Foundaton help fuel vital nonprof its across our region • MGM Grand Detroit maintains strong bond with the proud city of Flint • Charles Thomas redirects young lives positvely through Results Mentoring • And much more! The MGM Grand Detroit family will never forget our friends in Flint wait days for verifcaton and approval afer flling out forms.” Scot said the good people of Flint are most thankful for all the support they have received from Detroit and the world. However, he said serious concerns stll remain and that Flint should remain in all of our thoughts. “The issue that we are encountering is that many people simply do not trust the government,” Scot said. “We were told the water was safe to drink at a tme when it was not. Therefore, people stll have a mistrust of the government, and there are stll a lot of people who will not drink even with water flters. “The need has decreased to some degree, but we’re stll distributng water. We feel it’s the right thing to do untl all pipes are replaced.” Scot said individuals or organizatons in Detroit that are interested in donatng water to Flint through Triumph Church can do so at any Detroit Triumph Church campus. For a list of locatons, please visit www.triumphch.org.

By Scot Talley Grand Detroit, including MGM sponsoring a basketball Special to the Michigan Chronicle camp we present with Randy Henry, which focuses on athletc and life skills for youth,” said Cedric Scot, a The cites of Detroit and Flint have had a special Triumph Church member who also serves as director of relatonship for a long tme. Separated by roughly communicatons “So when MGM saw the news reports 70 miles, both cites are strongly associated with the that were coming out about the water crisis, they quickly automobile industry, and for decades there has been a called to see how they could assist. MGM was actually friendly debate over which city produces the best high one of the frst calls we received.” school basketball players. As a result, MGM Grand Detroit donated and But most important, both cites are known for having transported truckloads of botled water to Flint residents compassionate people, and therefore it is not surprising that were in need. that many Detroit residents and organizatons have come “With the help of MGM Grand Detroit we were able to to the aid of Flint during the Flint water crisis. quickly mobilize and provide resources people and their The efort to assist our friends in Flint has included a families needed from day one,” Scot said. “By being able special partnership between the Flint Campus of Triumph to quickly mobilize we could subsidize the assistance that Church and MGM Grand Detroit. people weren’t getng from the government. People “We’ve had a longstanding relatonship with MGM have various needs for water and this allowed them to maintain their day-to-day lifestyles, without having to

MGM Grand Detroit: United by a mission to serve ... (cont. from cover)

and workforces. The program delivers a unique, early opportunity for the partner companies to actually vet potental employees through internship experiences beginning as early as a student’s senior year in high school. Upon completon of the high school porton of the Midnight Golf Program all students are automatcally transitoned into the Pipeline, which is expected to increase college matriculaton and subsequent graduaton rates for students from Detroit and our surrounding communites. “MGM Grand Detroit has been a consistent supporter of Midnight Golf and all the ways we What’s in a name? Everything if the names represent vital nonproft organizatons that MGM Grand Detroit atempt to develop youth for a number of years,” team members are able to support through the MGM Resorts Foundaton. said Reneé Fluker, MGP founder and president. “The support from individuals and enttes that for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan believe in our mission is the only way MGP Detroit. “This enables us to support youth exists.” in our community by providing them with a mentor. We know that 1-to-1 mentoring is And belief in our community is proven to provide that something extra so something that all MGM Grand Detroit youth are less likely to engage in risky behavior, and team members share when providing more likely to do beter in school, and graduate. support to the MGM Resorts Foundaton. “This is a mutually benefcial relatonship. Our “The way we give back is something we contnue mentors will tell you that they get as much out of the to work at and refne,” said Dee Dee McKinney relatonship as their mentees do. MGM Grand Detroit Odom, director of Public Afairs at MGM Grand is helping to change lives for the beter, forever.” Detroit. “It is defnitely not a top-down initatve— it’s something we share and value equally. We are Many of the recent MGM proud of all the community partners that we support Resorts Foundaton grant through contributons and volunteer eforts and we recipients are well known across take enormous pride in all the good that they do. our region due to their years of In that way they allow us to fulfll a very important service, including Boys & Girls mission.” Combining charitable contributons and Club of Southeastern Michigan, volunteerism, the MGM Resorts Foundaton engages Girl Scouts of Southeastern MGM Grand Detroit’s team members’ resources and Michigan, Greening of Detroit, Natonal Kidney talents to address community issues and change Foundaton of Michigan, Neighborhood Services lives. Organizaton, Mariners Inn and St. Vincent and Sarah Team members can direct their contributons or Fisher Center just to name a few. tme to the social cause of their choice, a general However, along with supportng nonproft community-grant fund, or a local United Way organizatons that have earned our community’s Chapter. In turn, the MGM Resorts Foundaton trust through their successful track records, MGM assures that 100 percent of all donatons support Grand Detroit team members, through the Resorts charites and organizatons that address critcal Foundaton, also try to identfy programs that make an needs in our region. impact in areas that may otherwise not be addressed Community organizatons across our without the program’s existence. area were recently notfed that their For example, a recent grant to the grant requests will be supported by MGM Midnight Golf Program (MGP) has really Grand Detroit. These announcements nothing to do with the classic are not done to generate big headlines, game, but everything to do with instead the opportunity to make a quiet, putng local youth on a successful but signifcant contributon to our community is career path. The grant supports the MGP High what maters most. School to Career Pipeline Program, which “I thank MGM Grand Detroit so much for awarding partners with universites and corporatons us a grant,” said Beth O’Connor, director of programs seeking to grow and diversify their student bodies “Welcome Inside the World of MGM Grand Detroit”

Getting to Know: Jenifer Hughes When did you join MGM Grand Detroit? 2012 What is your job title? I am the food and beverage supervisor of the Roasted Bean-Detroit and Breeze Dining Court What do you most enjoy about your job? I enjoy the diversity of the employees and the challenges that I have experienced since I have accepted this positon. All of my dutes were new at frst, including running the cofee shop, but it’s been fun learning everything. You also are known for volunteering your time out in our community with other MGM Grand Detroit team members. Why do you volunteer? At one tme I had needs and there were people who had to step up to help me and that is how I got to where I am today. Volunteering is my form of grattude to help people in the way I was helped. What are some of the volunteer activities that you most enjoy? Helping with the Covenant House (a sanctuary for homeless children and youth) would be my favorite. Also anything else involving children—Count Day school visits, passing out winter coats, serving lunch—just anything that helps kids. You also are the chairperson of MGM Grand Detroit’s African American Employee Network. What is the function of that group? It’s a lot of employment engagement to help employees get involved and the group also helps to enhance personal development. Those are things I want to do for others and myself at MGM Grand Detroit. Uncovering the genius of our own youth: MGM Grand Detroit was proud to take Afer the movie, our students were Kyan Byers, Nurse a group of bright, engaging students given a “Hidden Figures” quiz and Emily Shelton, Surgeon from Detroit Public Schools to see in the last queston the students Olivia Ervin, Mechanical Engineer in “Hidden Figures,” which tells the story were asked what they aspired to the Navy of three African American female be? Following is a small sampling of Mona Almathrahi, Pulmonary Doctor mathematcians—Katherine Johnson the responses to our last queston. Tayebah Chowdhury, Obstetrician- (played by Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Please join us in wishing the students Gynecologist Vaughan (played by Octavia Spencer) listed below and all of the students Mahbuba Miah, Biomedical Engineer and Mary Jackson (played by Janelle that went on our feld trip contnued Alexis Williams, Physical Therapist Monáe) who worked at NASA during success, as they pursue their dreams Jaya Pullen, Dentst or Pharmacist the Space Race. The brilliant Detroit and aspiratons. Madison Lee, Musician students that went on our movie Anita Evans, The person who sits at feld trip represented Ben Carson Future aspiratons of Ben Carson the table as a partcipant, instead of High School of Science and Medicine, High School of Science and Medicine the woman leaning on the wall as an Cass Technical High School, Burton students that watched “Hidden observer. Internatonal Academy and Gompers Figures” with MGM Grand Detroit Elementary-Middle School. team members “Welcome Inside the World of MGM Grand Detroit”

Honoring a proud musical legacy: Did you know MGM Grand Detroit was a sponsor of the 13th annual “Black WOMEN Rock!”? The event, founded by the celebrated poet and Detroit’s own, jessica CARE moore, took place March 18 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. “Black Women Rock!” is a grand celebraton of black women in rock music and culture. The theme of this year’s event was Black WOMEN Rock REBEL WOMEN and honored the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit Rebellion. Performers included Tamar-kali, Navasha Daya, Jessie Wagner, Stefanie Christ’ian, Zakiya Harris, Divinity Roxx and more. More than a one-night performance, “Black Women Rock!” is described by its founder as “an internatonal movement of women of color who play music, raise children and create insttutons around their art.” Through Results Mentoring, Charles Thomas helps youth see the ‘light’

them become the person they really want to be. It becomes the real person versus the clown—character versus reputaton—and they come to realize on their own that the other person, the clown, has to die.” Requirements of the boot camp include getng a hair cut, wearing military fatgues and boots, physical training, learning “the ways of the sir,” ongoing mentoring and more. “It has to be impactul, strategic “MGM Grand Detroit allows us to and most of all it has to be real,” said be able to do our six-week boot camps Thomas, who started mentoring youth at no cost for parents and schools that while he was coaching Police Athletc are struggling with at-risk youth,” said League football in 1999 at the request Thomas, who works primarily with of parents that were having trouble young people between the ages of eight with their children at home and in and 16. school. “I care so much about the youth Thomas has many success stories I work with because I was them. I was to share, including seeing students go thrown out of all Detroit Public Schools from less than a one-point grade point By Scot Talley with the goal of keeping young people at the age of 15. I dropped out and hit average to the honor roll, but his work is Special to the Michigan Chronicle out of the penal system. the streets. And then for a tme on the never done. “We deal with anger being one streets I had it all and lost it all.” “For the kids, I’m here untl the If you speak to Charles Thomas for leter from danger and they come to Today, Thomas is the proud holder of light comes on and then I’m stll here,” just a brief tme it becomes immediately understand the importance of decision a master’s degree, which by no means Thomas promises. apparent that he is a gentleman. “Yes making because a bad decision can cost came easily, so he speaks from personal And since startng Results Mentoring, sir,” “no sir” are staples in Mr. Thomas’ you your life or your freedom,” said experience when he stresses educaton more than 2,000 young people and their dialogue. Thomas, who uses a tried and tested and perseverance. As Thomas goes families have found Thomas to be a man However, if you want to see him get six-week boot camp program to redirect about the work of helping young of his word. To learn more about Results worked up, start talking negatvely about lives. “You can’t talk your way out of a people in our community, who are Mentoring, headquartered in Eastpointe, our youth. problem that your behavior got you into. very much like he was, Thomas said he please visit www.resultsmentoring.org. “If you keep describing our youth as You have to behave your way out. is most appreciatve of his nonproft’s the lost generaton, what are you saying “We have to separate the person community partners, including MGM about our future?” asks Thomas in a from what they were trying to be to help Grand Detroit. passionate tone that conveys his disdain for that type of blanket characterizaton. “You have to look deeper at our kids.” Through his nonproft Results Mentoring, Thomas is indeed part of the soluton when it comes to working with youth. The mission of Results Mentoring “is to provide world class mentoring, monitoring, tutorial and redirecton services that make a diference” in the lives of young people and their families. When Thomas discusses the nonproft’s “redirecton” services, he gets right down to the core of the mater. The services address anger management, rechanneling negatve energy, behavioral services and more,

An evening to remember: 39th Annual Classical Roots Celebration

Yvonne Turner “Thanks to MGM Grand Detroit as a sponsor and longtme supporter of the arts we are able to contnue to keep this legacy of music alive and vibrant in the city of Detroit.”

By Scot Talley they performed beautful, brilliant, strring music at Special to the Michigan Chronicle diferent points of the program. While Blanchard and Carter (the pride of Cass Tech) brought the star power, it MGM Grand Detroit has the unique opportunity to also was ftng that the person who initally envisioned sponsor some of the most highly-antcipated cultural this celebraton be represented in some way, and he was and arts events in our region and that certainly was the through today’s version of the Brazeal Dennard Chorale. case earlier this month when MGM Grand Detroit was a “The Brazeal Dennard Chorale had an opportunity to sponsor of the 39th Annual Classical Roots Celebraton perform a world premier piece by Terrance Blanchard, at Orchestra Hall. ‘Detroit 67,’ said Yvonne Turner, a soprano, who also serves as the Chorale’s executve Started by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Regina Carter by the urging of the late Brazeal Dennard, director. “This piece resonated in the hearts founder of the Brazeal Dennard Chorale, “the and minds of the Chorale. Many of the Chorale mission of the Classical Roots Celebraton is members were in Detroit during this turbulent to increase awareness of the contributons of tme, so as the piece was performed they had Terence Blanchard African-American composers and musicians their own experiences to pull from. For those through performance and recordings, and to who did not live through this, they were able support increased opportunites for African- to gain insight to what had taken place in July Americans in through the 1967. The orchestraton and video reminded DSO’s African-American Composer Residency, us, as a city, how far we’ve come and how far Emerging Composer Program, and African- we have to go.” American Fellowship.” The Late Brazeal Dennard And like Blanchard and Carter, the Chorale Classical Roots also honors African-American received nothing but love from an adoring composers, musicians, and educators for lifetme audience. achievement and this year’s honorees were extra special: “When the performance concluded we were greeted Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard, with a standing ovaton and thunderous applause,” Turner who local fans also know as the regular host of the said. “I enjoyed this performance mainly because we, the Paradise series; and, Detroit’s own Regina Carter, Chorale and the Orchestra painted a vivid portrait of what considered the foremost jazz violinist of her generaton. took place that year and how we were able to live through The two musical giants were not only honored, but it and rebuild our communites while moving forward. mgmgranddetroit.com

Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons | 21+