Students Demand Action, Chicago Cares, and UCAN Hold Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to Celebrate Renovated Basketball Court in North Lawndale

CHICAGO – On Thursday, July 11, Chicago Cares, UCAN, and Students Demand Action are celebrating the completion of the community basketball court on the corner of South California Avenue and West Flournoy in the Chicago neighborhood of North Lawndale. Thanks to funding from the Everytown Community Safety Fund and the Vitalogy Foundation, these organizations were able to restore the court, which has been underutilized due to its poor condition. 

Students Demand Action—the largest grassroots, youth-led gun violence prevention organization in the country, and a part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network—identified the basketball court and surrounding neighborhood park as a vital community gathering space. Yet, this park has been plagued by community gun violence rather than enjoyed as a place for children and families. The idea to renovate the court came during Students Demand Action’s Summer Leadership Academy program in 2023. The goal of this project was to engage young people in creating a safe space for students, local youth, and community members to play outside. 

“I wanted to do something that would actually make a difference in the Chicago community and I’m happy to say we’ve done that with this project,” said Justin Funez, one of the students who came up with the idea to renovate the court and a Students Demand Action National Organizing Board member from Chicago, Illinois. “It’s not every day that we get to acutely feel the effects of our work in the gun violence prevention movement, so this is much more than renovating a basketball court. It’s a testament of our community’s commitment to reducing gun violence and creating a safe environment where young people can thrive.” 

“We’re incredibly grateful for our work with Chicago Cares and UCAN to help renovate this basketball court,” said Heart Song, a Students Demand Action Summer Leadership Academy Alumni. “Being able to reclaim safe spaces is crucial in our fight to reduce gun violence. Whether it’s a neighborhood basketball court or a community playground, we deserve to go hang out and play with our friends without the fear of gun violence. Every step we take to reshape public spaces in our communities is a step towards creating a future free from this crisis.”

Chicago Cares is redefining volunteerism, and through its unique combination of service, education, and relationship building, it amplifies the voices of local nonprofit organizations and community leaders and influences how individuals and companies engage with them— catalyzing impactful long-term investment. 

“Chicago Cares’ three decades of experience have led to deep, trusting relationships with community leaders and volunteers, which puts us in an ideal position to do the bridge-building work that is needed today,” said Chicago Cares CEO, Rosie Drumgoole. “The basketball court project is a perfect example of how the relationships that Chicago Cares facilitates have incredible power to unlock resources for their neighborhoods. Redeveloping this abandoned basketball court into a vital community hub for youth is a critical step in achieving the neighborhood’s own vision for itself and is just one of the many ways we can show our civic love.”

Through renovations like the basketball court, community-led organizations can reclaim spaces where incidents of violence have occurred and use them as opportunities to move communities forward. Activities like Hoops in the Hood, a basketball tournament led by UCAN, address safety head-on by building opportunities for social cohesion and violence prevention. This renovation makes the Hoops in the Hood tournament possible. 

“This particular basketball court revitalization project is important because it lies on the border between UCAN and Breakthrough’s service areas,” said Erica Lehr with UCAN. “This creates a prime opportunity for us to work together and build a stronger partnership so that we can better support our communities and continue to create safe spaces for our youth to thrive in. Having this safe space for the community is making such a difference.”