— LinkedIn.com

Amy Peterson went for a run in 2013 in an area of Detroit known as Dequindre Cut — a location in its past life that was part of an extensive set of rail lines that are now abandoned.

It was during that workout that the Jamestown native had what she described, in an interview with The Post-Journal years ago, as a “divine intervention.”

All along her route as she jogged, Amy found layers of graffiti on the ground. Once covering the bridges and overpasses that were once part of the Grand Trunk Railroad, the graffiti had peeled away, leaving her with an inspiration.

Amy Peterson and her son, Odin, are all smiles after they discovered the framed photo of Mike Ilitch wearing his Jamestown baseball uniform in 1952. Submitted photo

Collecting a sample, Amy discovered that while the scraps of graffiti looked a little rough on the surface, they were also made up of many beautiful layers, just like the intricate layers that make up Detroit.

The idea for a jewelry business that would come to be known as Rebel Nell was born.

Fast-forward more than a decade.

Amy, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Rebel Nell, was recognized for her entrepreneurial spirit earlier this month by the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.

Celebrated as part of Women’s History Month, Amy was one of four individuals who were celebrated for making a difference in Metro Detroit. In simple terms, they were called “game changers.”

Mike Ilitch Sr., the entrepreneur and restaurateur who served as the founder and owner of Little Caesars Pizza, and also owned the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL and Major League Baseball’s Detroit Tigers, would have been proud.

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According to a press release from Ilitch Companies, Amy’s jewelry business employs women with barriers to employment.

“Beyond jewelry,” the press release notes, “Rebel Nell’s nonprofit arm, T.E.A. (Teach. Empower. Achieve.), provides resources like stable housing, financial education, business classes and legal aid to empower women.”

Noted Ryan Gustafson, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Ilitch Sports + Entertainment: “In addition to recognizing Game Changers, honoring these leaders in conjunction with the NHL’s ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ initiative, represents our commitment to fostering inclusivity and diversity within the sport. Game Changers are about breaking down barriers and creating an environment where everyone feels welcome to participate, regardless of gender or background.”

Amy and the other honorees were acknowledged during a pregame reception and in-game, highlighting their contributions in varied fields. As part of the celebration, each woman received a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice.

But that wasn’t the only special moment that evening for Amy, who is the daughter of Greg and Cindy Peterson of Lakewood.

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Before he founded the international pizza franchise, Ilitch spent three years playing minor league baseball in such outposts as Hot Springs, Arkansas; Tampa, Miami and St. Petersburg, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; and … Jamestown.

In 1952, Ilitch, an infielder, batted .219 with two doubles, four triples, 15 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 36 games for the Falcons, who called Municipal Stadium home. While his on-field baseball dreams ended in 1955, he founded Little Caesar’s four years later and, well, the rest is history.

Which brings us to another special “game-changing” moment for Amy at Little Caesar’s Arena, with an unknowing assist from her dad.

It was a “picture-perfect” capper to a special evening.

After being recognized during the hockey game — her image was shown on the scoreboard — Amy and company went to Mike’s Pizza Bar. Much to Amy’s surprise, was a framed, enlarged photograph of an Ilitch baseball card when he played in Jamestown.

How that photograph found its way to Detroit is where Greg Peterson can take a bow.

“When doing the book “Across the Seams,” we were charged by Mike Billoni (then the vice president/general manager of the Buffalo Bisons) to gather up as much history on the teams as we could, so we looked at various sources, including the Fenton Historical Center. The Fenton Historical Center had a unique set of 1952 baseball cards of the Jamestown Falcons.”

Guess whose card was included in that set?

One Mike Ilitch.

“I took the image of the card to Falconer Printing and put it into a 4-by-6 postcard and printed 50 of them,” Greg Peterson said. “At the time, Amy was the assistant general counsel for the Detroit Tigers. I took some of them with me to a Detroit Tigers game and was able to give it to the Ilitch family.”

Although Peterson never met Ilitch, the Tigers’ hierarchy, including general manager Dave Dombrowski, “went nuts.”

“Nobody had ever seen Mr. Ilitch (as a baseball player),” Peterson recalled. “They knew he played and they knew he was part of the Tigers’ organization, but they had never seen a picture, so this was brand-new stuff.”

And there is a postscript to it all.

When Ilitch passed away in 2017, a celebration of life was held at the Fox Auditorium in Detroit.

“And there, front and center on the big screen, was the picture,” Peterson said. “That little card that started at the Fenton found its way to the big screen honoring Mike Ilitch, showing that he’d been through the Tiger organization. That’s the proof.

“Fast-forward all the way to Amy getting this award in 2024 and there at Little Caesar’s Arena is a restaurant called Mike’s Pizza Bar and a huge portrait of Mr. Ilitch. … None of this would have happened without Amy’s involvement as assistant general counsel for the Tigers.”

And the national recognition Amy has received for the Rebel Nell jewelry wouldn’t have likely happened had she not gone for that run in Dequindre Cut in Detroit 11 years ago.

As it turned out, it was a game changer.