Comedian Louie Anderson will headline the third annual anniversary celebration to benefit Make Your Date, a regional program developed to combat preterm birth in Detroit. The May 13 event will be held at the Fillmore in Detroit, with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan serving as honorary chairman of the gala fundraiser. This year's Master of Ceremonies will be WXYZ Action News anchor Carolyn Clifford.

"Make Your Date has had a significant impact on mothers and babies in the City of Detroit since its inception," Duggan said. "I am excited to be a part of this year's event to celebrate the success Make Your Date has had helping more babies have a healthy start in life."

"Stand Up For Make Your Date" begins at 6 p.m. and includes cocktails, dinner and a performance by Anderson. Proceeds from the event benefit Make Your Date, launched by the city of Detroit, Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center in 2014. Since its inception, Make Your Date has reached more than 5,000 women.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality. In Detroit, premature birth affects one in six babies. Preterm babies often need a machine to breathe; they may have cerebral palsy, difficulty walking, and in the future do poorly in spelling, reading and math. Make Your Date is a coalition led by the city of Detroit and WSU with the critical partners of health care systems, insurance companies, foundations and civic leaders brought together for the shared purpose of decreasing preterm birth in Detroit by the implementation of evidence-based strategies.

This year, Make Your Date will honor its anchor sponsors - Wayne State University, with guests President M. Roy Wilson and WSU School of Medicine Dean Jack D. Sobel, M.D., and the Detroit Medical Center, with guest Conrad Mallett Jr.

An Emmy Award winner for his role in the FX comedy series "Baskets," Anderson has been named one of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time by Comedy Central. He is one of the world's most versatile and successful comedians, loved by television audiences who never missed him on the hit show "Family Feud" or his appearances on late-night chat shows. He also is a best-selling writer.
The master of stand-up comedy has guest-starred in sitcoms like "Grace Under Fire" and the dramas "Touched by an Angel" and "Chicago Hope."

Anderson launched the Saturday morning animated series "Life with Louie," based on his childhood, in 1995. The series earned him three Humanitas Prizes for writing on a children's animated series and two Emmy Awards. His best-selling books include "Dear Dad - Letters from an Adult Child" and "Good-bye Jumbo ... Hello Cruel World." His most recent book is "The F Word: How to Survive Your Family."

Tickets for the celebration are $250 per person, or $500 per person for a meet and greet, VIP reception and photographs. The cost includes cocktails, dinner and the show. For more information, details about sponsorships and to reserve tickets visit https://commerce.wayne.edu/events/makeyourdate/myd-2017.html or call 313-577-1000.

For event sponsorship and ticket information, please visit www.MakeYourDate.org or call 313-577-1000.