Little Lions fan earns tickets to this weekend’s game

Mason Bonds, a 9-year-old student at Pine Knob Elementary, won a school-wide food drive competition by collecting 411 cans of non-perishable food to help families in need. He gathered the most of any student.

While the Lions face off against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the true star at Ford Field will be sitting in the stands, not on the field, and he’s just 9 years old.

His name is Mason Bonds, a student at Pine Knob Elementary, who won a food drive competition by collecting 411 cans of non-perishable food, more than any other student.

“The teacher said ‘Ms. Majestic’ and everyone was screaming so we couldn’t hear my name,” said Bonds. “I couldn’t hear it, but I already knew because someone walked in and gave me the ticket to the Lions game,” he explained.

In fact, Mason won three tickets to this Sunday’s game against the Bills, marking his first-ever Lions game. He feels proud to go but is even more excited about helping others in need.

“I hope people who have enough can give to those who don’t,” he said.

The donations are stored at Calvary Lutheran Church in Clarkston before being sent to the Lighthouse, which will distribute them to hundreds of families in Oakland County. The success of the drive reflects not just Mason’s effort, but the whole school’s support.

Katrina Rivenburgh, from Driven Engineered Solutions, which partnered with Lions’ player Jahmyr Gibbs for the food drive, said the students collected a total of 9,200 items, amounting to over 6,000 pounds of food.

“We collected cans, boxes, and even health and beauty items like shampoo and body wash,” said Rivenburgh. “Many students created flyers, went door-to-door, and put in a lot of effort.”

While Mason enjoyed the drive, he is eagerly looking forward to the game. Gibbs is his favorite player, and he already knows exactly what he’ll say when he meets him.

“I’m going to ask for an autograph,” he said.