Photos by Brett Mountain metro » An EPIC Night For NEXTGen Detroit Becky Hurvitz | Special to the Jewish News Bob Saget had the EPIC crowd in stitches. W ith a change of scenery and the biggest headlining act to date, NEXTGen Detroit’s EPIC, sponsored by Sue and Alan Jay Kaufman and family, was about breaking the mold. “EPIC is a spectacular evening that reflects the spirit of a vibrant Jewish community throughout Metro Detroit,” said Alan Jay Kaufman, president, chairman and CEO of the H.W. Kaufman Financial Group and Burns & Wilcox. “Our family is proud to continue to sup- port this event for the fourth year in a row, with an increased financial commitment to what proved to be the most extra ordinary EPIC event yet. “With the fantastic turnout and dollars raised, we were shown once again that our support of the next generation of leadership is an important investment for ensuring the growth and success of the Detroit Jewish community as a whole.” Some 557 people came out to EPIC, NEXTGen Detroit’s premiere annual fund- raising event, pledging more than $220,000 for the Jewish Federation’s 2016 Annual Campaign, including 100 new donors. “This was my third time co-chairing 16 April 7 • 2016 EPIC, and it is so exciting to watch the event grow and evolve year after year,” said Scott Mitnick, co-chair with Jeff Selik and Alana Shamban. “We are making our generation aware of the work of Federation and its part- ner agencies and, in turn, they are showing their support.” The numbers show that, on average, attendees gave 42 percent more than last year, evidence of a growing commitment from young adults to the local Jewish com- munity and global Jewish family. “EPIC is a powerful opportunity to engage, educate and empower the young adults of Jewish Detroit,” said NEXTGen Detroit President Steve Migliore. “Our Campaign vice presidents Ilana Block and Ryan Landau have done an extraordinary job growing the NEXTGen Detroit donor impact this year.” Hosted at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center on March 12, EPIC fea- tured stand-up comedian Bob Saget. Best known as Danny Tanner from the long-run- ning television show Full House, now star- ring in the Netflix series Fuller House, Saget filled seats and left the attendees in stitches. EPIC is always one of the major highlights of the NEXTGen Detroit year and, thanks to Saget’s hysterical performance, 2016 did not disappoint. But beyond a night of entertain- ment, EPIC is one major way NEXTGen Detroit is working to ensure a vibrant future for Jewish Detroit. This year, NEXTGen Detroit was honored to have Federation’s Susie Feldman take the stage and share her personal story of surviv- al. Many years before Feldman became asso- ciate director of philanthropy at Federation, she was a single mother fleeing a bad rela- tionship, forced to relocate with her three young children. Federations and its many agencies across the country helped Feldman and her family overcome serious challenges. Hearing such a personal story firsthand inspired everyone in the audience. “It’s very clear from this EPIC and the EPIC events of the past four years that together this generation is standing up and supporting their Jewish future and the Jewish future of the generations that will follow,” said NEXTGen Detroit Director Stefanie Tuzman. * Becky Hurvitz is content stategist at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Top to bottom: Bob Saget, Jessica Migliore and Steve Migliore. Reese Handelsman, Ben Handelsman, Kyley Kaplan-Lazor and Jeff Lazor. Adina Lonn and Kyle Lonn. Lauren Kepes, Adam Rubin, Justin Jacobs and Brian Satovsky. Yael Aviv and Roman Golshteyn.