Together Detroit: Wings players and coaches Feed the Front Lines

When Red Wings alternate captain Luke Glendening brought up to fellow alternate captains Dylan Larkin and Justin Abdelkader that he thought the team could do something as a group to help during the COVID-19 pandemic, they immediately agreed.

Larkin had already partnered with his dad, Kevin, to get 50,000 gloves to the Detroit Medical Center and St. Mary Mercy Livonia.
Abdelkader and his wife, Julie, had already donated a full day's worth of meals for two shifts at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, Mich.
But both Larkin and Abdelkader agreed with Glendening that a complete team effort was the next way to go.
"We had been planning on doing something for us to all do together and rally around," Larkin said. "It just kind of happened, all the guys chipped in, coaching staff as well, so it was good. Hopefully we can get out there and let people know we're supporting the people working and the people fighting this."
The players talked to Dr. Tony Colucci, the Wings' head team physician, when they were deciding what to do.
"We came up with the idea that feeding the workers would be the best way we think we could support everyone down there," Abdelkader said. "We collected money within our group, sent it out in a group chat, collected the money and everyone was excited to be a part of it and to do something for the city and people that work downtown and are going through these tough times on the front lines, working long hours. We just thought we could do something that could hopefully show our support and gratitude for them."
The Wings then found their perfect partner in the city of Detroit and Mayor Mike Duggan.
On April 6, the city announced a program called Feed the Front Lines Detroit to provide meals to the Detroit police, fire, EMS and health care workers while also supporting Detroit restaurants.
"It's been unlike anything else I've worked on in my career where the support has just really flooded in, which I think speaks a lot to the appreciation that folks have for all that the frontline responders are doing," said Carrie Jones, senior advisor to the mayor. "It's incredible."
Jones said Tony Michaels and The Parade Company immediately jumped on board and got Detroit rapper Big Sean and others to participate.
More than 200 restaurants have signed up and deliveries are going out every day. While some restaurants are delivering the food themselves, AAA also stepped up to offer their roadside assistance vehicles to make deliveries for restaurants that aren't able to do so.
"They did a nice job," Glendening said. "I think the mayor and the city of Detroit was really looking to support local businesses while feeding the front lines. It's cool to be a part of for our team. I think all the guys are really excited and it's been great."
The Wings deal with medical professionals on a daily basis and have an appreciation for what they do in normal times.
That appreciation has grown exponentially during the worldwide novel coronavirus outbreak.
"I think just in our room, we have Tony, he's an ER doc so he's on the front lines of this and I know (team dietitian) Lisa McDowell's been at the front lines of it as well," Glendening said. "Just to know that they're risking their lives every day to step into a very tough situation, just to say that we stand with you. We're not doing nearly what's as dangerous as what you guys are doing but we see you and we stand behind you."
Wednesday's deliveries included 250 meals from Moroccan restaurant Saffron de Twah to St. John Hospital for lunch and 500 meals from Chicken Shack to Henry Ford Hospital.
"They eat mostly the same stuff, I would imagine, on a daily basis with the long hours and long days that they're putting in," Abdelkader said. "Something different probably excites them. I think we kind of went about the same way of supporting local Detroit restaurants, too, so it's a win-win in that regard. I think it's a great thing we're doing and I'm glad we're doing something as a group, as a team."
On Thursday, 250 meals from Market Fresh Deli went to St. John Hospital for dinner and 500 meals from Tex-Mex restaurant Calexico were delivered to the Detroit Medical Center.

"Everyone is so very happy to get a warm meal, from the ICU to all the folks in pharmacy, DMC Sinai-Grace front-line hero Issam Tawfik said. "Everyone felt important. When they told us the food was from the Detroit Red Wings, that was even more special than the food itself! It's like our Red Wings are cheering us on now, that's very special."

The Wings' donation helped the city double the week's deliveries.
"We've got thousands of meals that go out every week and certainly hundreds every day," Jones said. "The program will run for just about 30 days and we're on track to deliver 20,000 meals."
Jones said the program is currently funded through May 9 but could be extended with additional funding.
"Our website is FeedtheFrontlinesDetroit.com and anybody can go on there and make a contribution," Jones said. "It's been really inspiring to see, people write messages when they sign up so folks have signed up, we have local small businesses who are donating a portion of their sales to us, we've got people who are providing online entertainment who are donating proceeds to us.
"We're close to capacity but restaurants can still sign up in case we are able to extend the program or if anything changes. They can do that at FeedtheFrontlinesDetroit.com. There's a button to donate and a button for restaurant signup."
The Wings are used to being able to be out in the community to donate their time to people but obviously cannot during the pandemic, so they are truly grateful that there are ways they can still help.
"It's so hard," Glendening said. "I think it's the first time that you see something in front of you and you can't really do anything. The best thing you can do is stay home and distance yourself and try to let them do their jobs.
"If this is a way that we can support and encourage a little bit, that's great."