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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Detroit Pistons Hosting 2021 #MIKidsCan Kids Appreciation Week, Daily Giveaways
Erica Stamatoulakis
| 4 min read
DETROIT, May 3, 2021 — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Detroit Pistons are hosting #MIKidsCan Kids Appreciation Week, beginning Monday, May 3. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blue Cross and the Detroit Pistons have shifted the annual tradition of Kids Day from one day of arena activation to a weeklong virtual appreciation experience that includes a combination of individualized opportunities and memorable giveaways for young Pistons fans across Michigan ages 6-14. The celebration will also announce the winners of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan #MIKidsCan Detroit Pistons’ Piston for a Day sweepstakes held earlier in April. The daily enter-to-win sweepstakes will be deployed across the Detroit Pistons’ Twitter account; parents can follow the daily post’s instructions and enter using the hashtag “#MIKidsCan”. Giveaways include:
- Monday, May 3 – “Pistons At Home Watch Party”: For the final away game of the Pistons season (Saturday, May 8), Hooper and the Pistons Entertainment Team will deliver to the front doorstep of one (1) lucky fan an “At Home Watch Party” kit, including pizza, drinks, apparel, thunder sticks, foam fingers, etc.
- Tuesday, May 4 – “Courtside Seats”: Two (2) pairs of courtside seats to a Pistons home game during the 2021-2022 season
- Wednesday, May 5 – “Nike Basketball Shoes”: Five (5) pairs of Nike basketball shoes
- Thursday, May 6 – “Personalized Pistons Jerseys”: Five (5) personalized kids jerseys – each kid will get to select a number and last name to be displayed on back of their jersey
- Friday, May 7 – “Player-Autographed Jerseys”: Five (5) Piston players autographed jerseys
- Saturday, May 8 – “Basketball Hoops”: Two (2) portable basketball hoops
- Sunday, May 9 – “T-Shirt Giveaway”: 313 co-branded Detroit Pistons and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan kid-themed shirts
In April, the Piston for a Day sweepstakes awarded five winners an opportunity to come to the Detroit Pistons Performance Center to experience being a Detroit Piston for an afternoon. Over 2,400 entries from ages 6-14 were submitted. The Pistons’ “Starting Five” winners include:
- Jonas Werenka, age 6, Troy
- Makayla Martin, age 7, Southfield
- Alexa Birchler, age 9, Ypsilanti
- Jaedyn Armstrong, age 10, Lansing
- Austin Wehr, age 12, Ann Arbor
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for our Michigan youth, from the struggles of hybrid learning and social distancing impacting their well-being, to delaying their ability to participate in sports and physical activity,” said Andrew Hetzel, vice president of Corporate Communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “It was imperative Blue Cross continues its partnership with the Detroit Pistons to reinforce the importance of healthier bodies and mindsets for kids across Michigan by hosting this appreciation week with some exciting experiences offered.” “Despite the challenges this past year has presented, the Pistons and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan remain committed to creating and providing memorable opportunities for Michigan’s youth,” said Leah Emmons, Vice President of Partnership Engagement. “The #MIKidsCan Kids Appreciation Week will accomplish just that by providing incredible and much deserved experiences for youth across the state.” The #MIKidsCan Kids Appreciation Week supports Blue Cross’ ongoing commitment to children’s health through its #MIKidsCan campaign and partnership with the Detroit Pistons with initiatives focused on encouraging kids to adopt healthy habits and get active for at least 60 minutes every day. Over the past 16 years, Blue Cross has given more than $6.5 million in support of kids’ health and wellness initiatives across the state, reaching 450,000 children in more than 1,000 schools. For more information on the sweepstakes or Blue Cross’ ongoing efforts to help improve childhood health, visit AHealthierMichigan.org/MIKidsCan or follow #MIKidsCan on Twitter. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides health benefits to more than 4.7 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies residing outside the state. The company has been committed to delivering affordable health care products through a broad variety of plans for businesses, individuals and seniors for 80 years. Beyond health care coverage, BCBSM supports impactful community initiatives and provides leadership in improving health care. For more information, visit bcbsm.com and MiBluesPerspectives.com.
