The Miss America Organization is one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance.

The Miss Michigan pageant is the preliminary pageant for Miss America. On Tuesday, April 24 we were pleased to host Miss Michigan Night at Comerica Park. Participating in the event were the 31 local contestants who have been selected to represent communities across the state and will complete for the title of Miss Michigan this coming June.

One of the ladies competing in June will become the next Miss Michigan and will represent the State of Michigan in the 2013 Miss America Pageant. The contestants include:

We also welcomed our current reigning Miss Michigan 2011, Elizabeth Wertengerger.

As their national platform, the Miss America organization has partnered with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to raise funds and awareness for children’s hospitals throughout the United States. Joining the title holders on the field was Kayla Goeringer. After being diagnosed with a form of bone cancer called Ewing’s Cancer at the age of 9, Kayla spent over two years enduring several rounds of chemotherapy. Throughout her entire experience Kayla was an inspiration to everyone that she encountered. To those who worked with her she was a true champion.

Now cancer free, Kayla was selected by the National Children’s Miracle Network Hospital to represent her state of Michigan as the 2012 Children’s Miracle Network Hospital Champion. She will be our Miracle ambassador to help bring awareness to the important work being done at our children’s hospitals.

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Detroit Tigers Kids Club members are encouraged to check-in at the Kids Club Kiosk every time they visit Comerica Park. On Sunday’s, as part of “Every Kid, Every Sunday”, one lucky member is selected pre-game to throw the ceremonial first pitch. This Sunday’s member had the extra surprise of being joined by Lions QB #9, Matt Stafford!

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For more information about the Detroit Tigers Kids Club, Click HERE.

Gerald Laird and Octavio Dotel were presented their 2011 World Series rings by their former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa prior to the game on Sunday, April 22.

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Prior to Saturday’s game, a Pregame Baseball Clinic took place on the field at Comerica Park. The Clinic  featured four separate 15-minute long stations: hitting, pitching, catching and infield. A Tigers player and coach were at every station sharing their in depth baseball knowledge of the game.

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In keeping the memory of Jackie Robinson alive and celebrating the 65th Anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, the Detroit Tigers hosted the 16th Annual Detroit Tigers Jackie Robinson Art, Essay and Poetry Contest. The contest was open to middle and high school students from the Detroit metropolitan area. Students entered the contest by submitting an original essay, poem or work of art in honor of Robinson who broke the segregation barrier in baseball and was a social activist who fought for equal opportunities beyond the playing field. Tigers players and coaches participated in the league-wide Jackie Robinson Day celebration by wearing #42 to honor Jackie Robinson on the anniversary of the day he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Five of the six contest winners were  honored during a pre-game ceremony on  Friday, April 20th.

National Law enforcement officers memorial fund and the Detroit Tigers teamed up to host the first  Law Enforcement Appreciation Night at Comerica Park on Thursday, April 19. This special night is dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers and their families, and helped to raise awareness and funds for the forthcoming National Law Enforcement Museum, currently under construction in Washington, DC.

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It’s no secret that the Tigers have fans all across the country. If you can’t make it to Comerica Park as much as you would like, make a trip to catch one of the Tigers minor league teams in action.

Fifth Third Field is home to the Toledo Mud Hens who are the Tigers AAA team. A quick sixty minute drive from Detroit will lead you straight to summer fun and good times  centered around America’s favorite past-time.

This season started out with a sold out Opening Day crowd of over 13,000 fans! During the 2012 season fans can participate in events such as:

Kids Run the Bases: Every Sunday Postgame

Star Wars Night: Frist, May 4^th

Fireworks Every Weekend: Starting May 18^th

Relay For Life: Sunday, June 24^th

Latino Heritage Night: Sunday, July 22^nd

The Famous Chicken Night: Sunday, August 5^th

New to the ballpark this year is the interactive TV broadcast set for pre-game and post-game shows. The set allows fans to get an up close and personal view with the unique opportunity to participate in the broadcast at select times. If you make it a Hens game, be sure to check out the team apparel in the Swamp Shop and try one of the thirteen different types of hotdogs available at the concession stands! Finally, make sure you meet the Mud Hens mascots, Muddy and Muddonna. Every kid needs to be one of “Muddy’s Buddies” as a member of the Mud Hens Kids Club.

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For more information about the Toledo Mud Hens click HERE

Sorority representatives from Alpha Kappa Alpha

Great Lakes regional Director of  Alpha Kappa Alpha, Charlene Truitt Nelson, threwthe  ceremonial first pitch while Danny Worth played catcher.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha representatives posed for a photo with Prince Fielder

Chiara Clayton perfromed the National Anthem

Alex Gurney, Grand-Am Series Driver representing the Detroit Grand Prix

Carolyn House Stewart, Danny Worth and Alex Gurney pose for a photo after their ceremonial first pitches.

Spring training is coming to an end for 2012 and Opening Day is only hours away. Before the gates are unlocked and hotdogs grilled, the Tigers will make a much anticipated stop in Toledo, Ohio for an exhibition game against the Tigers AAA team, the Toledo Mud Hens.

The lockers are empty now, but later this evening they will be filled with uniforms, cleats and hats. It has been over 12 years since the Tigers last took the trip down to Toledo.  “We will over feed them and both teams have a great time together” said Mud Hens clubhouse manager Joe Sarkisian.

Firth Third field will be filled to the rafters, with the Mud Hens expecting to draw a crowd of over 12,000 fans. Toledo General Manager Joe Napoli is humbled by the community excitement over the Tigers visit and believes it is a reflection of Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski and the true dedication he has to the Mud Hens and the entire minor league system.  Napoli recalls what Dombrowski expressed to him during his first visit to Toledo as Tigers General Manager, “A winning season is created by a winning atmosphere throughout all of the Tigers teams. We may not always get it right, but we will never be out worked”.

The Mud Hens retail store, known as the Swamp Shop, has stocked its shelves with Mud Hens gear and even had a special shirt designed to commemorate the game against the Tigers. Final field preparations are underway to ensure the grass looks perfect for the big game. Both clubs have agreed, all proceeds from the game will benefit the Detroit Tigers Foundation and the official charitable fund of the Toledo Mud Hens, Helping Hens Charitable Fund.

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