BOSTON (October 24, 2012) – The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation unveiled the newly renovated Lynn YMCA gymnasium today as part of the Celtics 2011-2012 Players Choice Grant. The gym was hand-picked by last year’s Celtics players to receive the renovation after seeing the poor condition the old facility was in. The unveiling took place during an assembly featuring Celtics forward Brandon Bass, center Jason Collins and guard Kris Joseph; Celtics Team President Rich Gotham; as well as a dunk show by Celtics mascot Lucky.
“One of the benefits of playing with the Celtics is the opportunity to give back to the community,” Bass said. “When we voted on what to do with our grant money last year we wanted to choose a project that really needed our help. When I walked in and saw the huge improvement of this gym I was blown away. It made me incredibly proud to be a part of the Celtics organization.”
“The renovations to the gymnasium make this a much more inviting place to play basketball,” said Melissa Harper, Chief Executive Officer at Good Sports. “These upgrades will greatly improve the Lynn YMCA’s ability to attract and retain youth, getting more children off the street and into a safe and productive environment.”
The renovations to the gymnasium included new backboards, flooring, wall padding, custom wall graphics, a fresh paint job, and the installation of a new divider curtain. During the assembly Bass, Collins and Joseph spoke with the 250 students in attendance about making the right choices in life and living a healthy lifestyle. The event concluded on an energetic note with a crowd-pleasing dunk show by Celtics mascot Lucky. This event is part of NBA Cares Week (Oct 22-29).