Spartans Team with WJR-AM to Aid Kids
A day of golf, a charity dinner and Tom Izzo’s debut as a professional singer all served as an informal launch for Michigan State’s new partnership with WJR-AM (760) in metro Detroit.
MSU and WJR sponsored the first “Coaches for the Kids” golf outing and dinner, a benefit for the For the Kids Foundation. Basketball coach Izzo, football coach John L. Smith and women’s basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie were honorary co-chairs for the event Sunday and Monday at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township.
“I called our friends at Michigan State and asked if they’d consider helping us in launching our new relationship in southeastern Michigan and support the cause, and they said yes right away,” Mike Fezzey, WJR president and general manager. “We had a number of agendas here – support the foundation and its good works and also establish the relationship and sort of kick it off.”
WJR and MSU agreed to a five-year contract in October for WJR to serve as the local flagship station for Spartans football and men’s basketball broadcasts starting this football season.
The three coaches were unable to participate in the golf outing because of prior engagements, but MSU athletic director Ron Mason, senior associate AD Mark Hollis and Spartans football broadcaster George Blaha represented the school. President Lou Anna Simon attended the dinner, and MSU student-athletes volunteered during the tournament.
Smith and Izzo were present at the Sunday dinner, in which Izzo took the stage with the Simone Vitale Band – “My Girl,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Satisfaction,” Taking Care of Business,” and “Addicted to Love.”
Local attorney Norman Yatooma created For the Kids in 2003 in honor of his father, Manuel Yatooma, who was killed in a carjacking in 1993. Then a 20-year-old college student, Norman Yatooma was forced to help support his three teenage brothers and widowed mother.
His foundation is designed to meet challenges grieving kids face after the unexpected death of a parent, similar to those he and his family encountered.
Yatooma secured sponsorship for the event from WJR, which in turn brought new partner MSU on board for the campaign. Oakland Hills already has invited the foundation, with MSU and WJR as sponsors, to hold a similar event next year.
