Contact: Daniel A. Washington
Cell: (313) 522-6816
Email: hello@nwgoldbergcares.com
Website: nwgoldbergcares.com

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/21/2022

CURTIS JONES PARK SET TO OPEN THURSDAY, OCT. 27

NBA-sized basketball court with renowned artwork ready to host games, fun and more

Detroit, MI – After nearly two years of planning, fundraising and construction - NW Goldberg Cares is ready to celebrate the return of a playground and basketball court in the neighborhood.

“We are excited to finally celebrate,” said Daniel A. Washington, Founder and Executive Director of NW Goldberg Cares. “It has been a long time coming after years of ideating and identifying the right partners to bring to the table to make the community’s dream a reality.” 

CURTIS JONES PARK, a 15,000 sq. ft. active lifestyle park located at 1941 Ferry Park broke ground in June of this year after a successful $420,000 fundraising campaign.

The park is named after Northwestern High School basketball legend and NW Goldberg resident Curtis Jones. Jones hit the game winning shot in an upset of Detroit Pershing in the first televised Detroit Public School league title game in 1967. 

“We were inspired to name the space after Curtis, after having a conversation with a former neighborhood resident,” said Washington. “It became important to honor his legacy and the tragic story around his unfulfilled dream.”

Starting this winter, the space will be converted into a community ice rink and in the spring the court will host interactive programming, such as youth sports camps, senior citizen fitness classes, health fairs, adult pick-up leagues and educational programs. 

"Safe, inclusive public space is a foundational element of a resilient, thriving community," said Laura Grannemann, Executive Director of the Gilbert Family Foundation. "The Gilbert Family Foundation believes every Detroit resident should have access to a vibrant public space within a ten-minute walk of their home, and Curtis Jones Park is a shining example of how we can work together to accomplish that vision.”

The Gilbert Family Foundation, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s Ralph C. Wilson Design and Access Fund, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, BMe, Ford Foundation and many more entities and individuals helped make the park possible. 

The CURTIS JONES PARK marks the organization's fifth pocket park since 2019. 

About NW Goldberg Cares:
NW Goldberg Cares, a community development corporation located in the heart of Detroit’s NW Goldberg neighborhood, aims to improve the lives of residents in the predominantly African American community by incubating neighborhood businesses, building a strong community and ensuring a family friendly neighborhood. For more information visit www.nwgoldbergcares.com.

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