The Atlanta Hawks Foundation continues to move toward its goal of revamping 25 basketball courts in five years, today announcing plans to unveil a newly-constructed court at Gresham Park Recreation Center on Saturday, Sept. 10. The ceremony will be the fourth of the summer for the foundation, and the first dedication featuring the installation of a court at a location that did not previously offer an outdoor playing surface.
“As we continue our ongoing efforts to build bridges to the community through basketball, we are excited to deliver a new state-of-the-art addition to one of Atlanta’s most popular parks,” said David Lee, Executive Director, Atlanta Hawks Foundation and SVP, Hawks External Affairs. “We are proud to partner with DeKalb County Parks and Recreation to increase access to the game of basketball and add to Gresham Park’s capacity to serve the community.”
Many collegiate and professional athletes participated in sports programs at Gresham Park as youth, including former Atlanta Hawk Dion Glover. Adding to the park’s legacy, teams representing the rec center have won multiple county, district and state championships. Immediately following the unveiling ceremony, the next generation of youth basketball players from DeKalb County Parks and Recreation will participate in a basketball showcase on the new court.
“DeKalb County is grateful for the partnership with the Atlanta Hawks Foundation and the benefit this new basketball court will bring to the community for many years to come,” said DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May. “Basketball, and sports in general, is an excellent way to meaningfully enrich the lives of youth. This gift from the Atlanta Hawks Foundation is invaluable.”
Locations for court renovations are identified and selected following an in-depth analysis of the strength of their basketball programs, the level of community access to existing basketball courts, and the park’s ability to maintain and program the space. As a result of the efforts put forth by the Atlanta Hawks Foundation and its partners in local city and county government, over 600,000 residents in Metropolitan Atlanta now have greater access to basketball courts.
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