Mayor Kasim Reed Unveils New Atlanta Hawks Community Basketball Courts at the Center of Hope at Coan Park

6/25/17

Mayor Kasim Reed unveiled two new Atlanta Hawks community basketball courts today at the Center of Hope at Coan Park. Mayor Reed was joined by Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Amy Phuong, Atlanta Hawks Chief Executive Officer Steve Koonin, David Lee, Atlanta Hawks Foundation Executive Director David Lee, Atlanta City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong, Atlanta Hawks television play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun, Verizon Director of Retail Sales Marq Conley, NBA legend Dominique Wilkins and Center of Hope at Coan Park youth participant DeRon Stover for the ceremony today.

Funded by the Atlanta Hawks Foundation and Verizon, the Coan Park full outdoor basketball court and adjacent wheelchair accessible basketball court features the Atlanta Hawks logo and colors. 
 
“The Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Hawks Foundation and Verizon are exemplary partners. We are proud to celebrate the newest Atlanta Hawks community basketball court with them,” said Mayor Reed. “Investing in the young people of Atlanta to help them realize their full potential is a moral imperative. Atlanta’s business and philanthropic communities have played an essential role in helping the City of Atlanta re-open recreation centers and transform many of them into state-of-the-art, comprehensive facilities. Without these vital collaborations, we would not be able to offer first-class amenities such as this basketball court to the next generation of leaders.” 

The Coan Park basketball courts mark the fourth renovation project completed by the Atlanta Hawks Foundation in collaboration with the Department of Parks and Recreation. Grant Park, Bessie Branham Park and William Walker basketball courts were revamped into Atlanta Hawks-themed courts over the last two years. 

“On behalf of the Department of Parks and Recreation, I would like to thank the Atlanta Hawks Foundation and Verizon for updating the Coan Park basketball courts and providing an amenity that will be treasured by the community for decades,” said Amy Phuong, Commissioner for the Department of Parks and Recreation. “The Atlanta Hawks and Verizon share our commitment to offer safe, welcoming places for Atlanta’s young people to play, grow and learn.”

“We are excited to continue our work with the City of Atlanta toward a shared goal of improving communities throughout this great city,” said Steve Koonin, Chief Executive Officer for the Atlanta Hawks. “Today's ceremony at Coan Park helped us build yet another bridge to Atlanta through the game of basketball.”

"Verizon is committed to serving the communities where we live and work," said Roger Tang, President of the Southeast Market for Verizon. "Basketball can play an instrumental role in the development of children of all ages, and we are thrilled to partner with the Hawks on this exciting initiative to help enhance the lives of Atlanta youth."

The Center of Hope at Coan Park provides inclusive therapeutic recreation services to children ages five to 17 with mild to moderate physical and intellectual disabilities. In 2014, the Center of Hope at Coan Park was awarded the Phoenix Award by Blaze Sports America, now known as the BlazeSports Triumph of the Human Spirit Award. The honor acknowledges organizations which demonstrate leadership in adaptive sports and recreation programs.

When Mayor Reed first entered office, he made it a priority to restore and reopen neighborhood recreation centers in every community in Atlanta. Today, all 33 recreation centers are open and 22 facilities offer Center of Hope programming. The Reed Administration has focused on forming partnerships to ensure best-in-class amenities at the Centers of Hope.  In 2015, the Atlanta Hawks Foundation pledged to revamp 25 metro Atlanta basketball courts by 2020. These renovations will positively affect approximately 465,000 Atlanta residents citywide.

For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit http://www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta. Follow Mayor Reed on Facebook and Twitter @Kasim Reed

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