FULTON – After many years of vision, perseverance, patience and follow through, Fulton Community Basketball (FCB) is proud to announce the opening of the Fulton Dream Courts. This project required significant partnership with the City of Fulton, and FCB is grateful for the resources and support that Mayor of Fulton Jim Rice, Director of Fulton Parks and Recreation Chris Waldron and the entire Common Council have provided for this project.
From structured basketball programs for youth, open court time for the public, and pickleball for community members of all ages, the Fulton Dream Courts are an inclusive space for community recreation and engagement. Three years ago, during the height of COVID, when access to indoor facilities was very limited, FCB had a vision of an all-inclusive basketball facility for the youth of the community. The organization wanted this facility to be accessible to youth in our entire community, whether they were basketball players or not. FCB also wanted this facility to have synergy with the Fulton War Memorial where the organization does most of its youth programming. This evolved into larger conversations with adults in the community about the lack of recreational opportunities for adults and senior citizens. This led to FCB being asked to include pickleball to its court design to provide even more opportunities for recreation.
FCB President Sean Broderick had a conversation with Juli Boeheim and the Jim & Juli Boeheim Foundation about the vision for the Dream Courts and its mission to provide inclusive opportunities for youth. The foundation was very receptive to the vision FCB had and ultimately gave the organization a sizeable donation to get started. This donation spurred FCB’s fund development and went on to secure additional grant funding, including its largest donation in the form of a matching challenging grant from the Richard S. Shineman Foundation. “We are thrilled to support this worthy project that will serve the Fulton community in such a positive way,” Jim and Juli Boeheim said. “There is no one better than Sean Broderick to head this initiative. We have known Sean for several years and have seen his heart to serve others first-hand. Our communities are fortunate to have his support and vision of the Fulton Dream Courts that will bless those it serves.”
The new outdoor facility, which was funded through these grants along with other private donations, is now ready to begin fulfilling its mission. Broderick believes that the faith and patience the community has shown for this project is about to pay off in a big way. “Great things come to those who wait, and we’ve had to be very patient through this process of building not only the footprint of the courts themselves, but the vision of what we wanted these Dream Courts to be for our community,” Broderick said. “That patience is now coming to fruition as we open the Fulton Dream Courts.”
Mayor of Fulton Jim Rice, who has long been a champion of Fulton’s youth programs, is excited to see just how much the Fulton Dream Courts will benefit the community. “I think the Dream Courts will have a big impact on our community,” Rice said. “We’re glad to partner with Fulton Community Basketball to make this happen. They have a partner in the City of Fulton and we’re all glad to be part of it.”
Fulton Community Basketball was intentional in their selection of vendors and chose to invest in quality local vendors whose work would enhance construction of the Dream Courts. EZ Paving, B&T Sports Shop, Chirello Advertising and Volney Multiplex did just that. “Our Dream Courts were built to spec and are an absolute value to our community thanks in large part to EZ Paving and the Seymour Family,” Broderick said. “Keeping our investments local was very important to us. We were intentional in our selection of vendors and are proud to say that we used Fulton businesses for this project.”
FCB also hopes that the Dream Courts project will spur additional development by the City of Fulton and private partners on the War Memorial campus. “We wanted a footprint like the one we’ve created here and are supportive of it being the start of our lakefront being completely enhanced,” the organization states. “We have great leadership in our city right now and I know they are doing everything they can to leverage our Dream Courts as just phase one of the development of our lakefront. With a campus containing infrastructure for hockey, figure skating, football, softball, basketball, lakefront, teen park and a community center, we feel that this whole campus is poised for additional development of reaction and economic development.”
Fulton Community Basketball, Inc. is joining forces with the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce to host the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Fulton Dream Courts on October 12. The fun filled afternoon starts at noon and will offer food trucks, entertainment, and basketball events. The ceremony, which will start at 1PM, will be highlighted by messages from Jim and Juli Boeheim along with other local dignitaries. Residents from the City of Fulton and the surrounding communities are welcome to attend. “We are proud to partner with Fulton Community Basketball in support of the Fulton Dream Courts,” Juli Boeheim said. “FCB had a clear vision for a facility that would enhance the quality of life of residents within and around the community. The Fulton Dream Courts will prove to be more than just basketball courts. The facility will transform lives with its growing culture of leadership and success that’s fueling its mission. We’re looking forward to spending the day in Fulton on October 12.”
Press inquiries should contact Rob Tetro at (315) 593-5268 or by email at
[email protected].
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