DETROIT, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Fun and philanthropy were par for the
course at the inaugural Ilitch Charities Celebrity Golf Classic as top
Hollywood celebrities, local and national sports stars and media
personalities turned out to help raise important funds for the local
community. The two-day event kicked off with the Summer Soiree on Sunday,
August 24, 2008, at MotorCity Casino Hotel. The golf event was held on
Monday August 25, 2008, at the prestigious Oakland Hills Country Club. Both
the pre-party and golf outing sold out. Thanks in part to the generous
title sponsorship of Buick, GM R Works and MotorCity Casino Hotel, the
events helped raise funds to enable Ilitch Charities to present a total of
$200,000 to benefit the Greening of Detroit's Conservation Leadership Corps
and the Guidance Center's Project CEO.

    "Giving back to our community has always been a core value of the
Ilitch companies," said Ilitch Charities Chairman Christopher Ilitch, who
is also president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. "We're really excited
about the level of support we received from celebrities and sponsors. But
mostly, we're proud that we were able to raise a significant amount of
money to support two innovative programs that will create long-term,
positive change in southeastern Michigan, making this a better place for
all."

    2009 Ilitch Charities Celebrity Golf Classic

    Ilitch Charities is pleased to welcome back Buick, GM R Works and
MotorCity Casino Hotel as title sponsors for the 2nd Annual Ilitch
Charities Celebrity Golf Classic. Once again, a pre-event party will be
held Sunday evening, August 30, 2009, at MotorCity Casino Hotel. The
Celebrity Golf Classic will be held Monday, August 31, 2009, at Oakland
Hills Country Club. Sponsorship packages are available and the event will
again raise important funds to support innovative and collaborative
programs in the community.

    2008 Event Recap

    Tim Allen, Mike Binder, Dave Coulier, John Cusack, Cuba Gooding, Jr.,
Laird Hamilton, Susan Haskell, Thorsten Kaye, and John McGinley were a few
of the celebrities that joined current and former Detroit Tigers -- such as
Al Kaline, Cecil Fielder, Mickey Stanley and Dave Rozema -- and Detroit Red
Wings -- such as Nick Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, Brian
Rafalski and Kirk Maltby -- and other sports stars, giving metro Detroiters
the unique opportunity to mix and mingle with celebrities for a good cause.

    "This was a terrific event for the community," said Wings defenseman
Chris Chelios. "Several Hollywood stars made the trip to Detroit to join
the Wings and Tigers and they had a great time. This was a first-class
event all the way and as a resident of this community, I was pleased to
have the opportunity to support Ilitch Charities and the other
beneficiaries."

    The 2008 pre-event Summer Soiree was held in the new Grand Ballroom at
MotorCity Casino Hotel. Nearly 400 guests enjoyed expertly prepared food,
desserts and drinks. The party featured silent and live auctions that
included unique items such as autographed sports memorabilia, sports
experiences, entertainment packages, cosmetics, jewelry and travel.

    The Celebrity Golf Classic was the first event to take place on the
courses at Oakland Hills Country Club following the close of the 90th PGA
Championship. More than 240 golfers participated in the event and each
foursome included one celebrity golfer. The day concluded with the
presentation of $100,000 to each of the benefiting charities -- the
Greening of Detroit and the Guidance Center. The beneficiaries were
selected from nearly 75 proposals submitted. A panel including
representatives from Ilitch Charities and independent third-party entities
reviewed the requests for funding and selected two that stood out in terms
of their potential for helping Ilitch Charities accomplish its goal of
addressing social issues at the root in order to achieve long-term positive
change in the community.

    The 2008 Beneficiaries

    The Greening of Detroit -- Conservation Leadership Corps Program

    The Corps program provides jobs and job training for Detroit youth who
care for the city's trees and green spaces. Through the program, youth earn
money while being educated in urban ecology and environment, job skills,
leadership skills, individual responsibility and philanthropy. Now in its
tenth year, the Corps project has employed over 500 Detroit teens and young
adults who have earned a combined $850,000 working in the program. It is
one of the only programs in Detroit that offers gainful summer employment
to low- income African-American youth. The Greening of Detroit guides and
inspires the reforestation of the Detroit area and is located downtown.

    The Guidance Center -- Project CEO (Career Employment Outcomes) Project
CEO helps vulnerable youth and young adults secure and retain meaningful
employment, despite barriers to vocational success. Through the program,
nearly 400 youth and young adults will receive high-quality academic, life
skills and employment readiness programming, as well as resources to
connect them to the labor market. Participants in Project CEO become
career-minded, working residents with the power to positively influence
their peers and future generations. The Guidance Center is located in
Southgate, Mich., and serves children, adults and families throughout
southeast Michigan.

    About Ilitch Charities

    Ilitch Charities invests in the community's future by supporting
innovative, collaborative and measurable programs that promote economic
development and spur job growth. The organization funds programs that
improve the well being of individuals in areas such as human services, job
creation, education and recreation. For more information, visit
IlitchCharities.org . Ilitch Charities is affiliated with the companies
owned by Michael and/or Marian Ilitch, long-time Detroit entrepreneurs.
Ilitch companies include: Ilitch Holdings, Inc., Little Caesars Pizza, Blue
Line Foodservice Distribution, Champion Foods, the Detroit Red Wings,
Olympia Entertainment, Little Caesar Pizza Kits Fundraising Program,
Olympia Development and Uptown Entertainment. Additionally, Michael Ilitch
owns the Detroit Tigers. Marian Ilitch owns MotorCity Casino Hotel.