Contact: Daniel A. Washington
Cell: (313) 522-6816
Email: daniel@nwgoldbergcares.com
Website: nwgoldbergcares.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
09/09/2021
NW GOLDBERG CARES TO TRANSFORM VACANT LOT INTO COMMUNITY PARK
Two-thirds of $300,000 fundraising goal secured thanks to two major pledges
Detroit, MI – NW Goldberg Cares today announced they are transforming a vacant lot into a community park. The organization has exceeded its $300,000 fundraising goal thanks to two large contributions. These pledges will allow the grassroots community development organization to complete their largest public space project to-date - THE CURTIS JONES PARK.
The park will fill a critical void. In a neighborhood that has lacked a public basketball court for nearly a decade, the space will include basketball, as well as host interactive programming, such as youth sports camps, senior citizen fitness classes, health fairs, interactive sports and educational programming.
The shared belief in neighborhood-based placemaking is resulting in a total of $200,000 in investment between The Rocket Community Fund and The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s Ralph C. Wilson Design and Access Fund.
“Access to safe, inclusive and vibrant public space is crucial for every neighborhood and every resident. It brings people together and builds community that echoes for generations,” said Laura Grannemann, Vice President of the Rocket Community Fund. “The Curtis Jones Park will be a gathering place that fosters athletic spirit, houses family reunions, and deepens our connection to each other. We are proud to support NW Goldberg Cares in this work.”
The active lifestyle park, to be located on Ferry 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.
“The truth is the Curtis Jones story must be told and remembered; education is imperative for student athletes to have a chance at realizing their dreams of professional sports,” said Daniel A. Washington, Founder and Executive Director of NW Goldberg Cares. “Jones was stuck at a 4th grade reading level, which ultimately played a key role in him not being able to realize his dream of playing professional basketball.”
The 15,000 sq ft. park will be completed in spring 2022 and include accessible play equipment, landscaping, green stormwater infrastructure, a walking path, solar outdoor lighting, picnic tables, court artwork, trash receptacles and a pavilion.
“The Community Foundation is inspired by the work of NW Goldberg Cares to create this amazing public space and programming for the community,” said Mariam Noland, President of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. “We look forward to more green space where residents can enjoy the outdoors, learn and connect with each other.”
Once complete, the CURTIS JONES PARK will be the organization's fifth 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.
About Rocket Community Fund:
The Rocket Community Fund is a partner company of Rocket Companies, which includes Rocket Mortgage – the nation’s largest mortgage lender. It also coordinates team member volunteerism for Bedrock and other affiliated companies who comprise the Rock Family of Companies. Its strategy aims to support thriving, resilient and inclusive communities through data-driven investments in housing, employment and public life.
Through its For-More-Than-Profit model, the Rocket Community Fund recognizes that business and community are inextricably linked, and it purposefully brings together all of the assets of the Rocket Mortgage and Rock Family of Companies business – team member talent, technology, policy advocacy, and philanthropic resources – to invest in comprehensive community development in Detroit and across the country.
Alongside financial investments, the Rocket Community Fund has organized team members to provide more than 815,000 volunteer hours nationwide, including 415,000 in Detroit.
For more information, visit RocketCommunityFund.org.
About the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan:
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is a full-service philanthropic organization leading the way to positive change in our region. As a permanent community endowment built by gifts from thousands of individuals and organizations, the Foundation supports a wide variety of activities benefiting education, arts and culture, health, human services, community development, and civic affairs. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $1.2 billion through more than 80,000 grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Livingston counties. For more information, visit www.cfsem.org.
About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation:
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson requested that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. The Foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information, visit www.rcwjrf.org.
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