A large group of Atlanta children received an early Christmas gift on Dec. 20. That evening, State Farm partnered with Overtime Elite and the City of Atlanta to unveil the renovated basketball court at Grove Recreational Park.
“First and foremost, it’s about safety,” Justin Cutler, the City of Atlanta’s Department of Parks and Recreation commissioner, said to rolling out. “At this gym, the bleachers were in shambles. The gym floor was in need of desperate repair. By doing this, now we have a safe space for young people and for our seniors to be able to play. We’re able to have our youth basketball program here played in a safe manner. We’re able to have our Midnight Basketball Program have a team here now as a part of that program. So, it’s about opportunity.”
The evening after the announcement featured a community game of knockout and an impromptu “at the rim challenge” that ensued on another basket. With “at the rim,” one player rises for a dunk while a challenger attempts to block the dunk attempt. The challenges riled up those in attendance, including OTE’s City Reapers roster featuring 5-star prospect Bryson Tiller, Georgia Tech signee Jaeden Mustaf, and OTE general manager Damien Wilkins.
After the unveiling, Cutler and Anna Karefa-Johnson, OTE VP of brand experience and community engagement, spoke to rolling out to reflect on the finished product.
What was it like to see tonight’s final results?
Anna Karefa-Johnson: It makes us feel amazing. We’re incredibly proud to be a part of the Atlanta community. Anytime you have an opportunity to give back to the community that’s given so much to us, we love that, especially when it comes to being able to provide opportunities to play the sport that we all love; we are all for it. It’s just an incredibly rewarding opportunity to be able to do this through the generosity of our friends at State Farm.
Justin Cutler: This is amazing. I couldn’t have envisioned a more beautiful space now for our community here at Grove Park. For the recreation center for our youth, for our seniors, and for the whole community. This is going to be a space where people can come they can, go walking, and do basketball, volleyball, and other events and activities. This is a great space for Grove Park.
OTE has only been in Atlanta for a couple of years, but the organization is doing community events like this. What role does being planted in the city play in being a successful business?
AKJ: It’s incredibly important. Overtime, being based in Brooklyn, has a really rich history. Now, at OTE, we want to have just as rich a history here in Atlanta. For us, that meant it was really important for us to take the time to get to know the community, get to know our community partners and feel the vibe and the energy of the city. Hopefully, we’re able to bring that to the arena every game night.
