Earlier this week, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports, Dr. the Hon. Ernest Peets, JP, visited the newly refurbished basketball courts at Shelly Bay and Olive Bank, also know as the Jones’ Village Community Field.
Minister Peets commended the collaboration between the Department of Youth Sports and Recreation and the MoonGate Group for making the project a reality.
The Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation established a partnership with the MoonGate Group and its president and CEO, Mr. Leon Bascome, a well-known local athlete and basketball enthusiast, to invest in newly fabricated metal backboards for each of the courts.
The MoonGate Group believes in supporting the development of the youth of Bermuda through Academics, Arts and Sports. This is just one of the community initiatives that they have helped to bring into fruition.
Minister Peets said, “The restoration of these courts is a cornerstone of the Department of Youth Sports and Recreation’s efforts to ensure that the Bermuda Public have clean, safe recreational space to share and enjoy.
“It is envisioned that community groups and National Governing Bodies like Bermuda Basketball Association and the Bermuda Netball Association will have the opportunity to arrange youth and young adults, training, games and tournaments on these courts.
“Hamilton Parish and neighboring parishes and communities frequently utilize Shelly Bay for sports and family events and we want to return Olive Bank, to the neighborhood stature that it once held, for the Jones Village Community and families of Warwick Parish to enjoy.”
Mr. Bascome added, “it is quite gratifying that we are able to give back Bermuda in this manner. I am from Hamilton Parish and grew up running countless laps around Shelly Bay Field; thus, it is only natural for me to invest in my own community. I was very excited to see the courts used by the kids, the very next day after installation. I would like to thank the Minister of Youth, Cultutre and Sports Dr. Ernest Peets and Dr. Freddie Evans for their shared vision; and the Department of Youth Sport & Recreation, the Department of Parks, and Chantel Simons of MoonGate for collectively making this happen.”
*Photo credit Mark Tatem, Dept. of Communications.
Photos include: Minister Ernest Peets, MoonGate Group President and CEO Leon Bascome and youth participants.