NBA ALL-STAR TO ENHANCE SOUTHEAST BASKETBALL COURTS
Turnstone has partnered with Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation to resurface and enhance four basketball courts in McMillen Park, featuring a giant four-court mural installed by local artist Andre Portee. The project is funded by a $50,000 NBA All-Star Legacy Grant which seeks to expand the accessibility of basketball across the state of Indiana.
Turnstone’s application, one of 21 funded proposals, specifically addresses the accessibility of basketball by establishing outreach opportunities that will include the adapted sport of wheelchair basketball.
“The combination of sport and art creates a powerful environment that uniquely encourages diversity and inclusivity,” said Mike Mushett, Turnstone Center Chief Executive Officer. “We are honored to help create a fresh space for people of all ages and abilities to gather and play a sport that is so rich in Hoosier heritage.”
The court enhancements were revealed during a public court dedication on October 16. All four basketball courts will be open and available for use this fall.
“We truly appreciate our department’s partnership with Turnstone, along with this generous grant from the NBA All-Star Committee to enhance the basketball courts at McMillen Park,” said Steve McDaniel, Director of Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation. “Improvements such as this are crucial ways that we can help make our community stronger, and when we have the chance to work with great organizations like Turnstone, these projects are able to take on even more importance.”
“From STEM learning labs to basketball courts like these four at McMillen Park, our NBA All-Star Legacy projects exhibit the importance of taking an event like NBA All-Star and making it more than a game for our great communities throughout Indiana,” said Rick Fuson, Founding Chairman, All-Star Board of Directors and President and Chief Operating Officer, Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “We are thrilled to see these courts renewed as we work to engage and unite Hoosiers through the game of hoops.”
The Indianapolis NBA All-Star Host Committee awarded 21 organizations, representing 18 counties, with an All-Star Legacy Grant, the $1 million initiative focused on youth-serving nonprofit organizations across Indiana. The initiative provides grants up to $50,000 for each of the selected 21 brick-and- mortar projects focused on health and wellness or education and will impact an estimated 90,000 youth statewide. The Committee, led by two of the Indianapolis NBA All-Star Host Committee Board Co-Chairs, Tamika Catchings and Rafael Sanchez, launched the initiative in October 2019.
Turnstone Center provides programs and services for over 3000 children and adults with disabilities every year thanks to critical support from community donors, sponsors and partners like: the NBA All-Star Legacy Committee, AWS Foundation, and Parkview Health.
Turnstone’s mission is to empower people with disabilities to achieve their highest potential by providing one of the most comprehensive offerings of service and programs to people with disabilities and their families under one roof in the United States. Thanks to generous support and compassionate staff, Turnstone’s legacy of advocacy and innovation continues to contribute to a world that accepts and values people based on their abilities. This legacy now includes the privilege of functioning as the home training facility for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Goalball Teams and the goalball resident program through a partnership with the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA).
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