addByline("Johnson Tran","Celtics.com","Celtics");
BOSTON –The Boston Celtics and team partner Arbella Insurance came together this summer to make three Massachusetts families’ dreams come true.
Back in March, the Celtics and Arbella asked fans to tell them why their family deserved a basketball court brought to their backyard. Entries flooded in from homeowners across New England telling how a Celtics-themed basketball court would transform the life of the youth in their respective neighborhoods.
The Arbella Home Court Makeover program was established under the pretense of taking the aura of the parquet floor to the backyard of young fans to provide safe spaces to play.
Starting Monday and going through Wednesday, the two organizations unveiled three custom Celtics-themed basketball courts and family rooms to three selected families of the greater Boston community.
The lucky winning families were the Goentzel family of Belmont, Massachusetts, the Simmons family of Raynham, Massachusetts, and the Beatty family of Dorchester, Massachusetts.
“It’s been an incredible journey to see these projects come to life,” said Arbella Digital Marketing Manager Megan Glynn on the creation of the courts. “We are so proud and excited to award these three well-deserved families. The impact has been much more than expected”
Celtics guard Avery Bradley and Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell joined in on the action of the three-day tour. Each family hosted an official unveil party for their children and neighbors.
To officially mark the opening of the courts, the families played basketball with Bradley and the neighborhood kids all challenged the guard to a friendly game of knockout.
Bradley then presented each family with a personalized Celtics jersey to welcome them to the Celtics family.
“It’s amazing that the Celtics organization and Arbella provided these families with safe places to play basketball,” Bradley said. “Their kids can develop their skills without having to go far or worry about any cars on the road.”
The fun didn’t stop at the homes. Afterwards, the families brought their guests to a local basketball gym where Bradley and Maxwell hosted a basketball clinic for youth participants of the surrounding community.
The Celtics VIPs led drills that aimed to improve participants’ basketball skills and fundamentals.
These were truly experiences that each family will never forget. Congratulations to the Goentzel, Simmons, and Beatty families!
Keep an eye out for next year’s submission dates for your chance to receive your very own Celtics court!