SAY Detroit took over the former Lipke Recreation Center from the city of Detroit in 2014. It had been shuttered and derelict, the HVAC system ripped from the roof, and the pool full of mold. SAY began operations the following year. The center now has buses that collect Detroit children at their schools and bring them to the center for tutoring, mentoring, various other activities, and of course, sports. The students also get a ride home on the center’s buses. The Stafford annex will allow the center to serve as many as 200 children a day, up from about 150 a day, and expand its programming to include seniors and adults.
