24 Hours in Highland Park: 50 Years of Legacy and The Reggie McKenzie Foundation’s Enduring Impact on Highland Park

It all started in 1974 with a couple dozen kids, a six-foot four-inch NFL offensive lineman, a bag of footballs, and a few stacks of small orange cones. Now, 50 years later, imagining the city of Highland Park without the Reggie McKenzie Foundation would be like imagining a Michigan winter with no snow: it just wouldn’t make sense. “Reggie is a unique individual who never forgot where he came from,” said Jim Brandstatter, Reggie McKenzie’s college roommate at the University of Michigan, and the legendary radio voice of Michigan Football and the Detroit Lions for more than four decades. “This man has done more for the City of Highland Park and inner-city Detroit and underprivileged kids than a lot of government programs that have spent billions of dollars more. Reggie is a true treasure.” In the heart of Highland Park, nestled behind the Ernest T. Ford Rec Center and amidst the resilient and vibrant nature of the community, the Reggie McKenzie Foundation stands as a beacon of hope and opportunity. For five decades now, this foundation has dedicated itself to uplifting the youth of Highland Park and Detroit, creating pathways for success through sports, education, and mentorship. Founded by Highland...