PNC teams up to help boost NFL draft, other Detroit events
These are certainly halcyon times for the Motor City, said Mike Bickers, regional president for PNC Bank Southeast Michigan and Detroit, as he reflected about his beloved hometown and upbeat events in the weeks ahead.
For that matter, anyone born and raised in the Motor City — and those who have adopted Detroit — might say the same, as Michigan’s largest city is on a proverbial roll with marquee events putting it front and center on the global stage.
The 2024 NFL draft — a few years in the making — will be held April 25-27 as Detroit rolls out the welcome mat and puts on its Sunday best as hundreds of thousands are expected to attend.
“PNC was one of the local organizations to step up as a funder, working with the Detroit Sports Commission and the NFL to bring the NFL draft to Detroit,” said Bickers. “We believe this is the greatest sports city in the nation, so it makes sense for Detroit to host such a popular sports event while showcasing our incredible city.” (PNC declined to say how much money it is putting toward the NFL draft.)
Soon after, the Chevy Detroit Grand Prix sponsored by Lear will take to the streets of downtown Detroit May 31-June 2 as IndyCars race past GM’s headquarters and Huntington Place along the riverfront. PNC is the primary sponsor of the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda, driven by six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon.
Thankfully, Detroit’s financial footing is on far firmer ground today than a decade earlier when it went through a historic bankruptcy. Detroit's path from junk bond status to investment grade was highlighted by the mayor's office last week after receiving a double-notch rating increase from Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings on Wednesday, a few weeks after Moody’s did the same.
For Bickers, a native Detroiter who understands how tough it is to go from bankruptcy to investment grade, seeing things taking off in the city is making it all that much sweeter.
“Detroit went through some tough times, so it’s exhilarating to experience the positive energy and all the activity in the city,” he said.
When I caught up with Bickers this week, he was eager to talk about a few additional community programs PNC’s involved with in the region that are giving people and families a brighter future.
He mentioned the Pontiac Funders Collaborative, which PNC joined in 2023 as it will work with other regional partners, city leaders and nonprofits to help drive more economic growth and revitalization in the city. The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is managing that fund.
One offshoot of it is the future Webster Community Center, on West Huron near Telegraph Road, in Pontiac.
“This outstanding project is a great example of our Community Benefits Plan coming to life,” Bickers said of the Webster Community Center. Launched in 2022, PNC’s four-year Community Benefits Plan includes an $88 billion pledge to improve economic opportunities in underserved communities through new investments in homeownership, entrepreneurship and revitalization efforts.
“This project will transform a vacant former school into the Webster Community Center, a multifaceted project that will provide critical resources and access to programs that will benefit residents, include a small business incubator, a rentable commercial kitchen, a gymnasium, health clinic, Head Start classrooms, a new transportation hub and youth programs focused on the arts and STEM," Bickers said.
He said another positive component of the project is keeping the existing building intact.
“Rather than destroy an existing building and starting over, we get to repurpose a structure that has been a piece of the community fabric for over a century,” he said. It is expected to open in 2025.
Bickers also mentioned the 20th anniversary of its Grow Up Great effort this year, which is a $500 million, multiyear, bilingual initiative launched to prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life in every PNC market they are in.
“This year, we are celebrating Grow Up Great’s 20-year anniversary with special programs,” he said. “We are placing a focus on outdoor play and learning, including a $5.2 million grant pool to help build or refresh nature-based play and learning spaces throughout PNC markets — including Detroit.”
He isn't prepared to announce what specifically PNC will be doing in Detroit but that announcement will be coming soon.
In March, PNC kicked off a new national “Brilliantly Boring” advertising campaign, a self-deprecating nod to the longtime strategy that has fueled the bank’s growth.
“For nearly 160 years, the steadfast, reliable and responsible way we conduct our business has helped lead to brilliant outcomes for our customers, communities and employees,” Bickers said.
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Contact Carol Cain: 248-355-7126 or clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and noon Sundays on Detroit 50 WKBD. See PNC’s Mike Bickers and CURE Auto Insurance’s Eric Poe on this Sunday’s show. "Michigan Matters" can also be found on those stations’ listings on FUBO, Pluto TV, Youtube.com. It is streamed at 9 p.m. weeknights.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: PNC teams up to help boost NFL draft, other Detroit events
