Knicks and Garden of Dreams Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

The Knicks kicked off their efforts for the 2nd Annual NBA Green Week with an event to help spread and promote green efforts in New York City. On Friday March 26, Anthony Bonner and two Knicks City Dancers, joined special guest and Garden of Dreams board member, Matthew Modine and a group of 21 children from Garden of Dreams partner organization, WHEDCo, at their Intervale Green facility.

Intervale Green is the nation’s largest green multi-family affordable housing development for low-income and formerly homeless families. This year, approximately 384 adults and children will be residents of the second affordable South Bronx housing complex, Intervale Green, and an adjacent studio apartment building, the Louis Nine House, for youth aging out of foster care.

Upon arrival, the children were treated to a private pizza party before getting into the green activities. First the children focused on reducing, the children were broken into groups to compete in a hand washing competition to demonstrate how to efficiently wash their hands and reduce water use. Matthew Modine’s team was victorious. Then they working on reuse,using recycled materials such as holiday shoppings bags and other items to craft stuffed animal photos. The children drew the animals from magazine photos and cut out shapes and used staples and glue to complete their photo.

Six children concluded the afternoon by leading Anthony Bonner on a tour of their facility and sharing all the eco friendly features about the housing. The new development utilizes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly materials and is the largest Energy Star affordable housing development in the nation.

The Knicks will continue their green efforts next week on the April 6th game vs. Boston, where children from Garden of Dreams will participate in a “green” basketball exchange pre-game.

WHEDCo, a Garden of Dreams partner, works with families in the Bronx who struggle with the multiple challenges presented by poverty, and who, like all of us, aspire to a healthy, financially stable future.

For more information on the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non profit charity that works closely with all areas of Madison Square Garden, including the Rangers, Knicks, Liberty, MSG Entertainment, MSG Media and Fuse to "make dreams come true for kids in crisis,” please log onto gardenofdreamsfoundation.org.