Calvin Johnson takes part in the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic Celebrity Scramble at Detroit Golf Club June 25 prior to the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. He will be reading to kids at the Gardner White in Warren Oct. 9.
By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | C&G Newspapers | Published October 2, 2024
WARREN — Oh, the places you’ll go.
Imagine legendary wide receiver Calvin Johnson, a 2021 National Football League Hall of Famer and the newest inductee in the Detroit Lions’ “Pride of the Lions,” being read that timeless Dr. Seuss classic not knowing the greatness he’d achieve.
Children who repped the Honolulu Blue during Johnson’s career from 2007 to 2015 went to bed dreaming of one day being just like No. 81.
Now, children in the 2024 era of Lions fandom will be able to sit across from the icon and listen to bedtime stories from Johnson himself, who, courtesy of Gardner White, will be reading his favorite bedtime stories and holding an exclusive question and answer session with attendees from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Gardner White’s Warren location, 6500 E. 14 Mile Road. Light snacks will be provided.
“We are thrilled to welcome Calvin back to Gardner White, and partner for a very special evening to support the important work of the Calvin Johnson Jr. Foundation and American Cancer Society,” Rachel Stewart, CEO of Gardner White, said in a press release. “Families are at the core of what we do, so anytime we can help create a special moment and support the community, we are all in.”
The event will be free to attendees, who are invited to donate a new children’s book for local children who are battling cancer.
Gardner White was named the official furniture and mattress store of the Detroit Lions and is hosting the event in conjunction with the Calvin Johnson Jr. Foundation and American Cancer Society.
“We are thrilled to team up with Gardner White and Calvin Johnson Jr. for this event,” said Jenni Beamer, senior executive director for the American Cancer Society in Michigan. “We thank Calvin and the Calvin Johnson Jr. Foundation for their partnership, and Gardner White, which continues to find new and impactful ways to champion our mission to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Through their generous support, the American Cancer Society funds groundbreaking research, patient programs and services, and enables us to fund critical cancer prevention initiatives like screening grants.”
The Calvin Johnson Jr. Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable foundation founded in 2008 by the three-time first team All-Pro that prides itself on helping children achieve their dreams on and off the field, providing “financial assistance to community organizations” and dedicating itself “to the education, training, and social development of at-risk youth,” according to the foundation’s website.
Advanced registration is required for the event, which can be located here.
For more information on The Calvin Johnson Jr. Foundation, visit the foundation’s website at calvinjohnsonjrfoundation.com.
Information on the American Cancer Society and its efforts in the Michigan area can be found here.