It’s not only the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks who have a lot riding on Sunday’s Super Bowl. The entire city of Detroit, a city that has been trying for years to recover from economic recession and urban flight, is looking to Super Bowl XL and the deluge of visitors it is bringing to town for an economic boost. But what you won’t see on Sunday’s telecast amidst the shots of the cheering crowds and the lavish halftime show –not to mention the football game that takes place amidst all this–are the thousands of homeless people within five minutes or less of Ford Field. So I am truly thankful we have people like columnist and author Mitch Albom to remind us that they are still there, and that in the midst of the glitzy excess of one of of the biggest sports events of the year, we can all take time out to help them.

On the cover of yesterday’s Detroit Free Press Albom recounted his recent visit to the Detroit Rescue Mission as a means of advertising a new fund that has been started entitled S.A.Y. Detroit. (S.A.Y stands for Super All Year). By donating to this fund, visitors and locals such as myself–and even those of you watching the game at home–can help raise the financial resources to significantly increase services to the city’s homeless population.

There’s a new Super Bowl tradition that would make Albom’s now-famous mentor, Morrie, proud.