Matthew & Kelly Stafford Pledge $1mil to Detroit Education As Farewell

The Staffords spent 12 years in Detroit, to say they made a lot of memories, even without going to a Super Bowl, would be a understatement. This was their home and they knew they couldn't just leave without a proper "goodbye".

Stafford and his wife, Kelly, have pledged $1 million to help build a new education center with SAY Detroit, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students from low-income families overcome literacy inequalities and educational challenges. Kelly Stafford posted to her Instagram saying that after all Detroit did for them, they knew they wanted to give back.

"It's been our goal to always give back to the city. Detroit and its people have blessed us in so many ways, we only hop you have felt our gratitude through our joy of giving back to the city", she wrote. "And so, we have teamed up with Mitch Albom to create an education centre that will be attached to the SAY PLAY Center where Stafford Field is also located".

The new center, will include six classrooms, learning labs and vocational training space, according to a release, and it's anticipated 20,000-square-foot facility will also have an auditorium. The center will be named "The Kelly and Matthew Stafford & Friends Education Center" and be located in Detroit's Lipke Park.

Matthew Stafford says the project is something to be proud of for years to come and important to both he and his wife. He hope that actions like this will be something his daughters can learn from.

"That if you're blessed with the ability to give back, you've got to do it, and you should feel great about doing it," he told the Detroit Free Press. "If you have the opportunity to change somebody's life, even one kid's life, you should do it."

Kelly Stafford, who came to Detroit when she was just 19, hopes that it gives the people of Detroit something special to remember her husband by saying,

"You will always remember Matthew Stafford as a Detroit Lions quarterback, but our hope is that you will also remember our family for our love of the Detroit community and its people."

Matthew & Kelly Stafford will be heading to California, with their 4 daughters, as Matthew prepares to start his new stint with the Los Angels Rams next season.