ROMULUS, Mich., May 11, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An additional Freedom Center military lounge will soon be established at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, thanks to a generous financial grant from the Masco Foundation.
"The Masco Foundation has been a tremendous supporter since we established the first Freedom Center military lounge within the McNamara Terminal at DTW in November 2011," said Ken Pratt, president of Michigan Armed Forces Hospitality Center, Inc. (MAFHC), the non-profit organization behind the Freedom Center. "By providing a special grant of $100,000, we will be able to build out, open and operate a second Freedom Center lounge at the airport, this one to benefit traveling members of our military, their families and our veterans flying in and out of DTW's North Terminal."
The original Freedom Center lounge has hosted over 140,000 military and veteran travelers in three and a half years of operations. In addition, MARHC, Inc. has established Freedom Center lounges for the benefit of recruits and their families at locations in Troy and Lansing.
"Masco's Foundation is honored to continue its partnership with the Michigan Armed Forces Hospitality Center by supporting Detroit Metro Airport's second Freedom Center. Use of the Freedom Center at DTW's McNamara Terminal has been impressive, and Masco is pleased to have the opportunity to expand the Center's services into the North Terminal, ensuring that all military, veterans and their families are cared for as they connect through Detroit," stated Melonie Colaianne, representing Masco's Foundation. "We feel privileged to play a significant role in launching the additional Freedom Center in support of those individuals who continue to sacrifice for our safety and freedom."
The Freedom Center lounges receive great support from the Wayne County Airport Authority, as well as generous financial support from Meritor, Delta Air Lines and a host of other corporations.
"The Freedom Center has exceeded all expectations at the McNamara Terminal in serving our brave men and women in uniform," said airport authority CEO Thomas Naughton. "We support, and look forward to, the Freedom Center's expansion to the North Terminal."
Additional information on Freedom Center military lounges can be found at www.MIFreedomCenter.org.