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Flint students' lives matter to a sports team owner and a Michigan utility.
Tom Gores, a billionaire California investor who bought the Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports & Entertainment in 2011, partners with Consumers Energy Foundation as they each pledge $1 million to create a Flint Promise scholarship program, announced Wednesday. The goal is to offer full scholarships to Flint high school graduates, starting in fall 2018 -- similar to the Kalamazoo Promise private initiative, a national model since 2005.
Tom Gores: "I believe in Flint."
"I grew up in Flint, went to school here and appreciate the power of education to transform people's lives and revitalize a community," Gores says in a statement.
"Every student who works hard deserves a chance to earn a college degree.
"We want to give those kids and their families a reason to dream and provide them the resources to make those dreams come true. . . I believe in Flint."
At Consumers Energy, CEO Patti Poppe says: "Flint has started a remarkable comeback from recent challenges, and we see our contribution as a down payment on a bright future for a community that we are proud to serve."
Details still to be determined include where students can enroll and whether eligibility will include graduates of nonpublic Flint schools.
The venture is praised by Isaiah Oliver, head of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, who calls it "a generous commitment to young people in our community." His nonprofit will lead a coalition that administers the program.
The announcement says:
Many features of the scholarship are still yet to be determined, including specifically which high schools’ graduates will be eligible, what post-secondary institutions will initially participate, what support services will be included and many other elements. Those details are expected to be determined and announced in the weeks ahead.
"We still have a lot of work to do, but this commitment from the Gores family and the Consumers Energy Foundation ensures that Flint students will have an opportunity many didn’t think possible," said Oliver. "It's an investment in Flint's future and a vote of confidence in our children. It will also make our community even more attractive for additional investment."
Gores, chairman and chief executive of Platinum Equity in Beverly Hills, Calif., earlier started a FlintNOW campaign by pledging $10 million to support relief and revitalization programs in his hometown after the tainted-water crisis that still affects residents and businesses. Two years ago, he and former basketball star Magic Johnson launched a $1-million campaign for Lansing Promise scholarships.
He immigrated to Genesee Township from Nazareth, Israel, at age four with five siblings and his parents -- a Greek father and Lebanese mother. The family ran a small grocery in Flint, where Gores stocked shelves and delivered orders as an adolescent. He graduated from Genesee High School in 1982 and earned a Michigan State University bachelor's degree in 1986.
His 22-year-old global investment firm specializes in mergers, acquisitions,and turnaround operations.
Reactions to the Flint Promise announcement include this from a student who has earned national media attention:
From a Flint Kid....thank you for all you do for #FlintKids
— Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) August 23, 2017
And from a Democratic state senator who represents the city:
Absolutely incredible. Thank you @ConsumersEnergy and @TomGores. If anyone deserves this kind of generosity, it's the young people of Flint. https://t.co/AFLYKfLO5Q
— Senator Jim Ananich (@jimananich) August 23, 2017
