Megan Stefanski walked into Yooperman's Bar and Grill in Goetzville Tuesday afternoon to a group of people singing the Detroit Lions Fight Song:
Forward down the field,
A charging team that will not yield.
And when the Blue and Silver wave,
Stand and cheer the brave.
Rah, Rah, Rah.
Go hard, win the game.
With honor you will keep your fame.
Down the field and gain,
A Lion victory!
Moments later...she was recognized as the 2024 Detroit Lions Fan of the Year.
Stefanski won tickets to the 2025 Super Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans.
In a statement to SooLeader, Stefanski says she was shocked by the award.
"I had no idea this was going to happen! The Lions contacted Crack and my mom so they knew. It’s super cool that they came to me, they said since I travel the 365 miles to them all the time this time they were coming to me. The trip to the Super Bowl and the honor of it is amazing, but what it will do for Hospice of the EUP is amazing. It will put eyes on our community and help raise money for them. My goal for this year was to raise $50,000 and I’m closing in on $40,000 right now. There is a contest for all of the team's Fans of the Year (FOTY) to win the ultimate prize and raise money for their charity! I’m hoping my team will be with me in NOLA (New Orleans) this year for the big game."
Stefanski describes herself as “a Yooper who loves to travel the world, baseball, college basketball, Detroit Lions, books, jeeps, and adventure. School librarian. CMU Grad. PFUFA (Pro Football's Ultimate Fan Association) Class of ‘22."
Stefanski's father, Donnie, passed away in Sept. 2019.
He grew up in Goetzville and was a graduate of the class of 1976 from DeTour High School. He was employed by the Chippewa County Road Commission for 36 years.
Together with his wife, JoAnne they bought and formed Yooperman's Bar and Grill of Goetzville.
Donnie was such an avid Detroit Lions fan, he traveled the 365 miles each way every Sunday
for the 25 years, leading up to his passing, to cheer on his Lions.
His loyalty and team spirit were widely admired by all, so much so that he was a member of the Professional Football Ultimate
Fan Association (PFUFA) and the Tailgating Hall of Fame.
One comment on her Facebook page says it all:
"Donnie would be so proud. Congratulations Megan!!!"
