UK influencer raising money for children in Michigan
A social media influencer from the UK has been virtually adopted by the city of Detroit and now wants to give back.
(CBS DETROIT) - A social media influencer from the UK has been virtually adopted by the city of Detroit and now wants to give back.
You may have seen videos of Daniel Hanbridge and his girlfriend Lauren Saddington online, or you may have run into them at the many Detroit sites they've visited. The couple is from Manchester, England, but have found a large following in Michigan.
Hanbridge is a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan but is willing to put that aside for a time and represent the Detroit Lions, all in the name of charity.
He first visited Detroit for the 2024 NFL Draft as the Packers' International Fan of the Year. But his videos showing the Motor City so much love earned him a trip back to the grand opening of Michigan Central Station.
"Everybody was so nice, everybody was really welcoming and just happy for us to kind of explore this city that it had historically such a bad rep that we could never understand why," Hanbridge said.
His Michigan following has been eager to get the Packers fan into some Honolulu Blue, and he agreed if his followers raised $500 for the Children's Foundation in Michigan.
That goal was reached within hours, so he is raising the bar now.
"If there's $3,000, and I'm in Detroit for the Packers-Lions game, I have to do a Jared Goff chant in my jersey at the game, that's at $3,000," Hanbridge said. "And I've said if it hits $5,000, I'll get a Detroit tattoo somewhere on my body to go with my Packers one."
The couple is back in the U.S., and Hanbridge will honor the first part of his deal on Tuesday. He said he will wear a Lions jersey for 24 hours, and they plan to live stream the event.
They are raising money for the Children's Foundation until June 18. The foundation helps improve the physical and mental health of children in Michigan.