Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly, were in town on Monday for the dedication of a new facility to support Detroit kids.
The "Kelly and Matthew Stafford & Friends Education Center" is an expansion of the SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park on Van Dyke.
Hear the Staffords talk about the importance of the center and their time in Michigan
It expands SAY Detroit Play's footprint by nearly 15,000 square feet and will allow the center to add more enrichment programming.
"It is an incredible place. You know, just structurally the opportunity that's gonna be, you know, presented for the people that are involved in this. The kids that are involved in this every single day is something that I'm really proud of," Matthew said in the press conference.
Matthew said he was talking to Mayor Mike Duggan earlier in the event and Duggan asked if he had a home here, still. Matthew said that while they don't have a home, the new location feels like their home here.
"Just, you know, what we can do for the people around here, what we can do for the kids around here is an amazing thing and something that I'm really proud to be a part of," he said.
"We were thanked numerous times today, but to be honest, it's all of you that we should be thanking. We were raised by the community of Michigan. We were kids when we came here. You guys groomed us to be the people we are today and we are so honestly proud to give back to the community that gave us so much and to watch these kids turn into adults," Kelly said.
The Staffords provided the initial $1 million gift toward the expansion.
SAY Play was founded by Mitch Albom in 2015 as an extension of SAY Detroit, which helps provides pathways to success for Detroiters in need.
