Project: Bring Beauty and Color to Fort Four Playground
The fellow members of the Kingsbridge community are raising funds to renovate Fort Four Playground. We have teamed up with Project Backboard, BX community board 8 and NYC parks to make this initative happen.
Leader
Joel Guerrero
Location
Fort Four Park Bronx, NY 10468
About the project
Often times, we are trapped with the idea that it's hard to make a change. Conveyed with a notion that government limits our efforts to contribute to the local problems surrounding our neighborhoods. I am no politician. I am a civic representative speaking on behalf of Fort Four Park located in Sedwick ave Bronx, NY. Living here for 25 years, I realized that the park and community I grew up in, has been drained of color and spirit. It felt as if the parks that gave us life, friends and purpose began deteriorating and losing our love and interest. Soon enough, many stopped playing basketball completely and young kids will skip basketball to smoke weed.
We could not bear to see our park lose the community we once built. That is why I took upon the initiative to attend a Bronx Community Board meeting and speak in behalf of all our park members and ballplayers to get an approval by NYC parks to begin renovations for our basketball courts.
During the Bronx Community Board meeting, I raised awareness of how our parks are being neglected and how we are deciding to help contribute to change with NYC parks if we can gain an approval. Bronx Community Board and NYC parks loved my presentation and directed me to the head rec manager of Fort Four Park to begin the initiative. We were also able to partner with a nonprofit called Project backboard in order to renovate the color theme of our courts while we covered the installation of the backboard. So far, we have the green light. All we need now is for our community to come together and be part of a change that will impact the lives of many.
Once we collect the full funding amount. We will begin installing new backboards immediately while our civic members and Project Backboard vote on the color theme of the park. Once we conclude to a collective decision, we will begin the painting and try to open the new renovations by June 1st.
Let's be the change that people want to see...
The Steps
The process will begin with the installation of the backboards. The process will
- Cost around $10,080
- Project Start: May 1st
- Will take 4-6 hours to install
- Will be 3 fiberglass backboards with new rim and net.
On June 1 2021 we will host the grand opening and open the park with a basketball tournament fundraiser planning to raise funds for other park initiatives.
Why we‘re doing it
This park initiative is much bigger than us. I am simply the spokesperson for the change that our communities have been begging for.
I was born and raised playing basketball in Fort Four Park. I'm sure many can agree that FFP has molded them as well. I can confidently say that I have made some great friends there and have learned lessons through the trials and tribulations I faced playing basketball. However, it wasn't always like that. As I began to age into an adult, I'd pass by the park and see no one there. Just an empty park with faded painting and rusty backboards.
It isn't our responsibility, but our moral obligation to do what's best for our park.