Pope Francis Center to Honor Roger Penske at its 2026 Building Bridges Gala April 16 at Ford Field
DETROIT, Mich., April 1, 2026 — Business and racing icon Roger Penske will be honored for his leadership, philanthropy and decades of work lifting up Detroit and its residents at Pope Francis Center’s 2026 Building Bridges Gala on Thursday, April 16, at Ford Field.
Penske is the founder and chairman of Penske Corporation, a closely-held, diversified, on-highway, transportation services company headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., whose subsidiaries operate in a variety of industry segments, including retail automotive, truck leasing, transportation logistics and professional motorsports.
Before launching his legendary transportation business and his championship racing organization, Penske was an award-winning race car driver. After moving to the Detroit area in the early 1970s to run his Chevrolet dealership, Penske became more and more involved in efforts to revitalize and grow Detroit. He has had leadership roles in everything from Super Bowl XL in Detroit, to bringing the Grand Prix back to both Belle Isle Park and the Streets of Downtown Detroit, development of the QLINE light rail system and helping to provide a new fleet of police and EMS vehicles in the city.
Penske and his organization have also worked hard to strengthen local communities. Penske helped form the Clean Downtown program in 2006 while serving as chairman of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. Through Detroit’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund, Penske Corporation donated $5 million to help improve the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. The PwC Grand Prixmiere presented by Chevrolet gala, hosted on Friday night of each Detroit Grand Prix weekend, has raised nearly $10 million for local charities since 2014, including for the Pope Francis Center.
“Roger Penske’s name is synonymous with excellence in business and racing — but his legacy in Detroit is something even greater,” said Fr. Tim McCabe, SJ, president and CEO of the Pope Francis Center. “He has shown what it means to believe in a city and back that belief with action — investing in neighborhoods, creating opportunity and helping Detroit rise again. We are proud to honor a leader whose commitment to people mirrors the heart of our work at the Pope Francis Center.”
The Building Bridges Gala raises funds for Pope Francis Center’s daily operations of providing nutritious meals and support services to more than 200 people six days a week from its location on St. Antoine Street in Detroit. Funds from the event will also support Bridge Housing Campus operations.
The host of this year’s event is Dan Miller, sports director and anchor at FOX 2 Detroit and long-time play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Lions Radio Network. The event will take place on the playing field of Ford Field in Detroit.
Click here for photos of Roger Penske and Fr. Tim McCabe.
