The Detroit Youth Choir received a huge surprise during their homecoming celebration on Friday.
The Detroit Youth Choir, fresh off of an incredible run on "America's Got Talent," where they finished in second place, just short of a $1 million prize, were honored in Campus Martius on Friday afternoon.
The celebration was hosted by city of Detroit and the Downtown Detroit Partnership and WDIV-Local 4.
At the celebration, a group of Detroit-based foundations and members of the business community announced a $1 million endowment to recognize the Detroit Youth Choir, following their tremendous accomplishment on NBC's America's Got Talent.
The fund, which will be established at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, will provide support to the Detroit Youth Choir in perpetuity. As the endowment grows, grants will allow the organization to serve youth to further its purpose to provide positive youth development including training in vocal performance arts along with mentorship and building life and social skills.
Foundations and businesses contributing to the Detroit Youth Choir endowment as of today include:
- Skillman Foundation
- The Kresge Foundation
- W. K. Kellogg Foundation
- Ballmer Group
- Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
- DTE Energy Foundation
- Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
- Bank of America
- Huntington Bank
- Dakkota Integrated Systems
"We are incredibly proud of what the Detroit Youth Choir achieved during their time on America's Got Talent and we look forward to what's next for them," said Tonya Allen, president & CEO of The Skillman Foundation. "This fund is a way for Detroiters to celebrate and grow the genius of our children."
The choir is part of the nonprofit Detroit Youth Concert Choir & Performing Arts Company, which helps young people ages 8 to 18, discover and perform music, theatre and dance.
"The Detroit Youth Choir brought our entire region together to support Detroit's kids," said Wendy Lewis Jackson, Kresge Foundation, Detroit Program managing director. "They represented the city with class and soul, and their success will continue to inspire children in Detroit for years to come. For that, we hope they feel profound pride."
"The Detroit Youth Choir has shown the world the tremendous impact it is having on the lives of young people in our city and this extraordinary financial commitment is the best recognition possible of that," said Mayor Mike Duggan. "Thanks to these generous funding partners, the Detroit Youth Choir and the rest of America can see just how Detroit shows its support for its young people."
Full coverage: Detroit Youth Choir on AGT