Detroit Red Wings, Tigers and Comerica Bank Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month Game Changers

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Published on:
October 13, 2022

The Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers, in partnership with Comerica Bank, have continued the Game Changers program, celebrating individuals making a positive impact in the community by working to create an inclusive environment for all. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, four local Game Changers were honored in a pre-game ceremony and received a $1,000 grant to donate to a charity of their choice.

The four Hispanic Heritage Month Game Changers are:

  • Christine Sauvé, Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. Sauvé leads community engagement and communications strategies for the center, ensuring immigrants across Michigan experience equity, justice and a sense of belonging. Often engaging with community groups, local government and advocates about these issues, Sauvé is a member of the Michigan Advocacy Program’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, serves as Co-Chair for the Detroit City Council’s Immigration Task Force, and has been recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for her efforts to promote immigrant inclusion.
  • Belda Garza, President of Mana de Metro Detroit. As a Detroit Public Schools and Wayne State University graduate, Mexico City-born Garza always looked for opportunities to give back to Detroit. While in Michigan, Garza has served in the Michigan House of Representatives, established a mentoring program for youth in Southwest Detroit and scholarship programs for women and most recently, served as president of MANA’s Detroit chapter. MANA is a national organization founded on the mission to empower Latinas and create a better quality of life for all Latinos through education, leadership development and advocacy.
  • Eva Garza Dewaelsche, President and CEO of SER (Service, Employment, and Redevelopment) Metro-Detroit Jobs for Progress, Inc. A lifelong Detroiter who graduated from Western International High School and Wayne State University, Garza Dewaelsche has served as SER’s president for more than 20 years, while committing to the community in other ways. Dewaelsche is a former Detroit Police officer who has established a nationally accredited, post-secondary technical school in Detroit and Chicago, and later served as Principal of the SER Casa Academy, a charter school serving at-risk youth in Detroit.  
  • Elias Gutiérrez, Founder, owner and publisher of the Latino Press. Gutiérrez serves the Hispanic community by ensuring their stories are told in Spanish. Latino Press, which is the most recognized Hispanic Media Company in Michigan, covering information in Spanish to inform residents on daily topics such as government, legal, immigration, health, finance, education, community, business development, social programs and more.