GO CUSE! "COURTS 4 KIDS" IS A WINNER ON GIVING BACK

GO CUSE!

GIVING BACK - IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION

(Left to right back) Joanie Mahoney, Onondaga County Executive, John Wallace, former Syracuse University basketball player, (front) Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, (back) Derrick Coleman, former SU basketball player, and Jim Boeheim, SU basketball coach, attend the ribbon cutting for the newest Courts 4 Kids basketball court at Skiddy Park, 300 Tioga St., Tully, Otisco and Oswego Streets. Morganne M. Atutis/The Post-Standard

MAKING A DIFFERENCE - One court at a time!

PUTTING KIDS FIRST in SYRACUSE

http://videos.syracuse.com/post-standard/2011/08/boeheim_john_wallace_and_derri.html

Post Standard article

The former Syracuse University basketball star

Derrick Coleman

joined Syracuse

 coach Jim Boeheim

and

another former Orange player,

John Wallace,

for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the

third

Courts 4 Kids

project in Syracuse.

As he watched the kids play,

Coleman said

he couldn’t help but think back

to his own childhood days in Detroit.

“Kids need a safe haven to play,’’ Coleman said.

“Renovating the park, building the courts

 and

the playground,

it’s going to mean so much to the children in this area.’’

Skiddy Park followed Courts 4 Kids projects at Wilson Park

and Schiller Park in the city of Syracuse.

Boeheim

and

former Orange star Carmelo Anthony

created the Courts 4 Kids program.

“I’d like to keep doing these projects

until 
every park in the city is re-done,’’ Boeheim said.

The renovation effort at Skiddy Park

 included three new basketball courts, soccer goals,

and team benches.

It also consisted of conservation efforts.

Two of the new basketball courts

use a porous pavement system

to prevent storm water from entering the sewer system,

which will prevent pollution from entering Harbor Brook and Onondaga Lake.

A fund-raising effort done

outside of the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation

and the

Carmelo Anthony Foundation

resulted in the construction

of a new playground for the park.

“I think it’s an important cause,’’ said Boeheim,

“and it’s one we hope to continue.’’

It's great for the kids when
they have POSITIVE support of the community
to promote a healthy self.
In the background is Blodgett Middle School
where I went to school as
a child. 
This park was merely grass when I went to school there with
NO playground.

PEACE!