Photos courtesy of Life is Good.
On Monday, the children served by the Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach celebrated optimism with the grand opening of a new DreamCourt™ at the Freeman E. Fairfield/Westside Center. DreamCourts are state-of-the-art basketball facilities built in lower-income communities through a collaboration among WorldVentures Foundation™, Nancy Lieberman Charities and Sport Court®.
Optimistic lifestyle brand Life is Good, which donated over $50,000 to build the court, along with actress Leah Remini, headlined the grand opening event, according to the announcement.
“I’m honored and humbled that Leah Remini and Life is Good are rallying behind this effort,” said Nancy Lieberman, basketball Hall-of-Famer, NBA coach and founder of the Nancy Lieberman Charities, in a statement. “Together we can bring a renewed sense of vitality and community to children and families in the area.”
The building of the court was motivated by the story of a 15-year-old boy who was killed in the area last March, according to the release.
“After such a tragedy, we hope this DreamCourt will unite the community and provide a safe place for children to play, away from gangs and violence,” said Nicole Remini, who initiated the project, in a statement.
The $100 million Life is Good lifestyle brand is currently on a nationwide tour to spread optimism and help #GROWtheGood by connecting with communities and raising over $1 million to help kids in need. This DreamCourt opening was one of the main events during the tour.
“Optimism doesn’t ignore what’s wrong – it helps you focus on what’s right,” said John Jacobs, Life is Good co-founder, in a statement. “We’ve learned through the years that life isn’t easy and life isn’t perfect, but life is good. We are committed to giving back and helping to make life good for all kids.”
Gwyneth Lloyd, executive director of WorldVentures Foundation, said in a statement, “When you consider that 83 [percent] of children who come to this facility live below the poverty line and 60 [percent] come from single-parent households, a message of optimism is like oxygen.”
“Sport Court is extremely pleased to support the WorldVentures Foundation and Nancy Lieberman Charities on this important DreamCourt project that will provide a high-quality Power Game™ surface for safe play at the Boys & Girls Club in Long Beach,” said Joe Ure, Sport Court Director of Residential Sales, in a statement.
WorldVentures Foundation is a dedicated, national affiliate of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and leads service excursions to clubs nationwide. Of 19 DreamCourts built to date, 11 are located at Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.