Comerica First Down Program with Detroit Lions Impacting Community for Seventh Year

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Comerica Bank and the Detroit Lions collaborate for the seventh year on the First Down Program to assist nonprofit organizations in southeast Michigan.

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The First Down Program generates funds for community partners by donating $100 for each Lions first down gained during home games.
Since its inception in 2017, Comerica has contributed over $113,000 to approximately 35 local community organizations through the First Down program.

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09/18/2023 - 11:42 AM

Collaboration to assist 10 nonprofit organizations serving Southeast Michigan

DETROIT, Sept. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Comerica Bank and the Detroit Lions are collaborating for the seventh consecutive year on a season-long initiative that assists transformative and impactful community partners throughout southeast Michigan. The Comerica First Down Program ensures that every Lions first down gained during the 2023 season at Ford Field will stretch well beyond 10 yards and reach those in need in the community.

"The First Down Program has been instrumental in helping numerous community partners serve the unmet needs of our residents, families, and neighborhoods," said Linda Nosegbe, Comerica Bank National Community Impact Manager. "Our partnership with the Lions has become a vital resource in not only generating funds to assist in improving our communities, but this platform has allowed us to help elevate and celebrate the great work that they are achieving to uplift those in need."

During every Lions home game this season, a Metro Detroit philanthropic organization will benefit by receiving $100 for each Lions first down gained. This year's program includes all eight regular season home games and re-launched during the team's two preseason games hosted at Ford Field.

"It is an honor to continue the First Down Program with a partner as community focused as Comerica," said Detroit Lions Vice President of Detroit Lions Foundation and Community Relations Roxanne Caine. "We are inspired watching how the dedication and success of our players on the field can provide support for nonprofits dedicated to the success of individuals right here in southeast Michigan."

In the Lions home opener at Ford Field when they hosted the Seattle Seahawks, the Comerica First Down Program supported SER Metro-Detroit Jobs for Progress, Inc. In 2022, SER Metro-Detroit celebrated serving the community for 50 years.

Located at seven different locations in and around Detroit, including its main office at 9301 Michigan Avenue, SER Metro-Detroit offers diverse programming that includes literacy and education, job readiness skills training, occupational skills training, vocational skills training, job seeker and employer services, welfare reform programming, economic and community development, employment, and extensive youth programming.

Empowering Women
On Sept. 24, Comerica and the Lions will support Women of Tomorrow, a mentoring and scholarship program that pairs professional and highly accomplished women who inspire, motivate, and teach critical life skills to at-risk students through mentoring sessions. Women of Tomorrow is connected to nearly 60 schools in Detroit and southeast Michigan communities.

NFL Crucial Catch – Game On Cancer
During the NFL's league-wide Crucial Catch campaign in October to raise awareness and fight cancer, Comerica and the Lions are teaming up to support Henry Ford Health's Game On Cancer initiative on Oct. 8 when the Lions host the Carolina Panthers. Game On Cancer is a partnership between Henry Ford, Detroit Lions and Detroit Pistons that raises money to alleviate barriers that cancer patients face on their road to recovery and funds research to find a cure.

Game on Cancer is one of Comerica's most notable employee fundraising campaigns in the Michigan market, and the bank's colleagues have now raised more than $60,000 since 2018.

Additional 2023 Community Partners
For the remaining five regular season home games, the Comerica First Down Program will support:

Oct. 30: Neway Works
Nov. 19: Dutton Farms, Inc.
Nov. 23: Destined For Greatness
Week 15 (Date TBD): A Girl Like Me
Week 17 (Date TBD): RTTM Community Center

The Comerica First Down Program kicked off its 2023 outreach during both Lions home preseason games in August. In total, both preseason games generated $2,800 that supported the Horatio Williams Foundation and My Sister's Keeper.

First Down Program Impact
Since its inception in 2017, Comerica has contributed over $113,000 to approximately 35 local community organizations through the First Down program.

Previous recipients include: Abigayle Ministries, Alternatives For Girls, Arab American and Chaldean Council, Beyond Basics, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Citadel Community Development Corporation, DEFY Program, Detroit Organizations of Black Organizations, Detroit Police Athletic League, Inc., Detroit Public Schools Foundation, Family Assistance for Renaissance Men (F.A.R.M.), Focus: HOPE, HAVEN, IMAGINE Mentoring, Judson Center, LASED, Lebanese American Heritage Club Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities, Life After Care, Life Directions, Mostyn Community Development, Pure Heart Foundation, Ruth Ellis Center, The Children's Center and Winning Futures.

In December 2022, Comerica and the Lions celebrated a significant milestone in the six-year history of the program. Last year, the 1,000th first down was garnered by the Lions since 2017 moving the overall contributions generated for local charities to $100,000.

Comerica Bank, a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated, has served Michigan longer than any other bank with a continuous presence dating back 174 years to its Detroit founding in 1849. It is the largest bank employer in metro Detroit and has approximately 4,500 employees (FTE) statewide. With one of the largest banking center networks in Michigan, Comerica nurtures lifelong relationships with unwavering integrity and financial prudence. Comerica positively impacts the lives of Michigan residents by helping customers be successful, providing financial support that assists hundreds of charitable organizations, and actively participating in Detroit's downtown revitalization. Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Comerica, Twitter: @ComericaBank and Instagram: @comerica_bank.

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. The team located to Detroit in 1934 and is the National Football League's fifth-oldest franchise.