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WAXAHACHIE — The Mavericks continue to spread good will and good basketball courts all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
This week, the Mavericks had a dedication ceremony for the 26th basketball court they have contributed to the region, this one at the Waxahachie YMCA.
The Mavericks, with veteran players Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber leading the way, welcomed a record turnout of kids and supporters to open the new court, emblazoned with logos from the Mavericks and lead sponsor Sprite/Coca Cola.
Kleber and Powell both spoke to the attendees and followed that with a net-cutting, the inaugural free throws and a 30-minute clinic with more than 100 kids from various YMCA programs.
“I wish I’d had something like this when I grew up, because this is great,” Kleber said. “It’s great to see all the sponsors, Sprite, the Mavs Foundation and everybody coming together to make something like this happen.
“It’s an honor to be here because we love interacting with the kids. This is their place.”
As Powell said: “Take advantage of this. This is a great gym. Use it. Enjoy it. And share it with all your friends.”
The Mavericks have been renovating and building basketball courts for 23 years. The Mavs Foundation, a 501(c)(3) private arm of the organization, has granted over $4.5 million dollars to nonprofit organizations serving women, children and families in need. The Mavs Foundation has built 42 safe Learn & Play spaces throughout the North Texas community, including 16 Reading & Learning Centers.
These spaces are designed to expand learning opportunities for reading and education programs, as well as provide Computer Labs and access to technology to assist teens and adults with job-skill training and other valuable tools. Learn more at MavsFoundation.com.
The court renovation in Waxahachie was particularly gratifying for several sponsors who said they were in the building when the court first was opened in the early 1990s. And that it looks better now than it did then, they said.
“That’s an honor to hear that,” Powell said. “The Mavs Foundation and all the sponsors have done a great job and it’s a blast because we love basketball. And it’s a privilege to be able to give back to communities. That’s something that all the players take very seriously.”
The Mavericks have had a big summer of giving, including an all-staff day of service to help build a Habitat for Humanity home and the opening of a computer lab at the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center, a drop-in safe space and homeless shelter for teens, the first of its kind in the Dallas Independent School District.
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