Attorneys to sell Goodfellows Newspapers

By Jacek Adamski The Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund, which was started in 1914 so no Detroit area child would go without a Christmas, has had a long history with area football. The group is part of Detroit's historical fabric and also sponsored and raised funds at the legendary "Goodfellows Football Game" at Briggs (Tiger) Stadium from 1938 through 1967. This year, football will again fit in with the charity endeavor in its 99th season of Christmas energy. Executive Director of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Ken Hoffman along with George Perles, invited the Goodfellows to participate with the 17th edition of the college bowl event on Thursday, Dec. 26, at Ford Field at 6 p.m. The Goodfellows will have a kettle bell set up at Ford Field to accept monetary donations for the Goodfellows. The Goodfellows distribute 35,000 Christmas packages to area children of need so every youth can get a Christmas package. The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl will help remember the rich history of Detroit area football along with the pageantry of the LCPB events this year. Perles, who both received a Goodfellows package as a youth and also sold Goodfellows newspapers, said smiling, "I will have Lloyd Carr put the first $10-spot in the donation jar at the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl on December 26." The former Goodfellows Game event pitted the Detroit area Catholic League High School football winners versus the Detroit Public School League champions and benefitted the Old Newsboys Fund. At its peak in the late 1950s and early '60s, the Goodfellows Game drew crowds of 40,000 plus. The last game was in 1967 and longtime CBS sportscaster, and Detroit Lion, Gary Danielson, was the quarterback for Divine Child High School in that last edition. Perles, the iconic football coach who grew up on the west side of Detroit started his storied career with appearances in the Goodfellows Game with his powerful St. Ambrose teams in the early '60s. He later received national acclaim and won four Super Bowl rings with the PittsburghSteelers as a defensive coordinator under Chuck Knoll. Perles went on to become Michigan State head coach and won the 1987 Rose Bowl. He is currently an elected Trustee at MSU and the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Chairman-Emeritus. Greg Hacius, a Grosse Pointer who played for Perles at St. Ambrose participated in the 1964 and 1966 Goodfellows Games. Hacius went on to play at Nebraska in their 1970 National Championship season. Now president of Netlinks and a longtime supporter of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Hacius said, "The Goodfellows are a great part of Detroit, this is how charity should be, giving and more giving. Netlinks is pleased to support the Goodfellows and the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl at the same time." One of the main fundraisers for the Goodfellows will be their newspaper sale and donation event at various street corner locations around Detroit on Monday morning, Dec. 2. This year's Goodfellows President, Frank Brady and former president F. J. Brady, will be selling Goodfellow Newspapers near the Penobscot Building in downtown Detroit. It was their great-uncle who founded the Old Newsboys Fund. Frank Brady said, "It's great to see former recipients, like George Perles, remember what it was like to receive a Goodfellow package and thank us with their generosity." Another sportsman and longtime Goodfellows board member, Thaddeus J. Kedzierski, Of Counsel for Charfoos & Christensen, will be selling Goodfellows Newspapers on the campus of Wayne State University where he attended law school. Kedzierski will be on the corner of Ferry and Woodward Avenues. Peter W. Waldmeir, a partner at Miller, Canfield, Paddock, and Stone PLC, will be part of the 200 plus brigade of Goodfellows volunteers who will also be hawking papers on the annual newspaper Sales Day. Robert Costello, Mark Grobbel, David Marsh, and William McIntyre Jr. are other Board Members of the Goodfellows that will be selling newspapers on Dec. 2. Another longtime Goodfellows board member Conrad Koski said volunteers are always welcome for Christmas package distributionhelp. The charity also buys hundreds of pairs of new shoes for needy kids, subsidizes summer camp tuitions, and arranges emergency dental work for children. The college teams participating in the 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl will be announced on Dec. 8. Published: Tue, Nov 19, 2013