KEY POINTS:
- Indianapolis will host NBA All-Star 2024, originally scheduled for 2021, in February of next year.
- The new Legacy Grants bring the total Legacy investment of the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee to more than $1,200,000.
- Hoosier Historia, a statewide arts partnership with the Indy Arts Council and the Capital Improvement Board, gives Hoosiers in every county the chance to vote for the top 24 players, places, and moments in Indiana high school basketball history. Hoosiers can cast their votes at Pacers.com/HoosierHistoria.
INDIANAPOLIS – The NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee announced today new Legacy grants for three additional Indiana nonprofit organizations. Each organization will receive $50,000 in funding to support their missions to serve their communities, and the new round of grants brings the total number of Legacy projects awarded in conjunction with NBA All-Star 2024 to 24.
Additionally, the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee announced the opportunity for Hoosiers in every county to show their love of the game by voting for their all-time favorite Indiana high school basketball players, places, and moments as part of the Hoosier Historia arts project. A partnership between the Host Committee, the Indy Arts Council, and the Capital Improvement Board, Hoosier Historia is a celebration of Hoosier Hysteria and Indiana’s special connection with high school basketball.
“These investments and opportunities are the kinds of things that set Indianapolis apart as a host city, and it is only fitting that NBA All-Star 2024 will both create a lasting legacy on our young people across the state and a way to celebrate Indiana’s very special love affair with the game of basketball,” said Rick Fuson, Chief Executive Officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment and the Chairman of the NBA All-Star 2024 Board of Directors.
NBA All-Star 2024 Legacy Projects
In 2020, the NBA All-Star Host Committee announced 21 Legacy Project grant recipients in 18 Indiana counties with the goal of using NBA All-Star 2021 as a way to leave a sustainable, lasting impact on Hoosier communities. These youth-serving organizations received a total of $1,000,000 to support their missions, and though the Indianapolis NBA All-Star was moved to 2024, all projects were completed last year and a new round of three additional grants was announced.
The new awards bring the number of grants made connected to NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis to 24, with more than $1,200,000 invested across communities to improve opportunities for more than 100,000 Hoosier youths. The funding supports brick-and-mortar projects focused on improving the health and wellness of our young people.
The new Legacy Project grant recipients are:
- Aspire Higher Foundation Inc.
Aspire Higher Foundation Inc. will use the funding to help complete their RyZe Kitchen. The commercial kitchen will expose young people to information and experience with healthy eating and food preparation classes taught by local chefs. RyZe Kitchen is the centerpiece of Aspire House, a 125-year-old firehouse currently being transformed into a community gathering center in Indianapolis.
"The Aspire House is honored to be a recipient of the NBA All-Star 2024 Legacy Grant. Thanks to these funds we will be developing a fully functioning community kitchen on the first floor of the Aspire House. The RyZe Kitchen will allow us to expose our Near Northwest neighbors to new foods, offer healthy food experiences and combat food insecurity for those experiencing home instability. We are forever grateful for the support for our children and our community. In 2024 we will be open for the city to see the huge impact of the NBA All-Star Legacy Grant." -Sharon Clark, Executive Director
- Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County
The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County will renovate the gym inside O.C. Carmichael Jr. Youth Center. Renovations will include replacing the 26-year-old flooring, new bleachers, new scoreboard, and upgrading the old lighting with a modern LED system. With the facility improvements, additional events, tournaments, and leagues can utilize the space.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County is ecstatic to be included as a recipient of the NBA All-Star 2024 Legacy Grant. To say our gymnasium at our flagship site is critical to our operations, programs, and mission is an understatement. Every day, this space is heavily used by our Club kids after school and throughout the summer. It’s also frequently used for Club and community-wide events, hosting everything from our Youth of the Year Competition to Juneteenth Celebration to Friday night open gyms for local teens. It’s the only indoor space we have to accommodate large volunteer groups, our 200-person all-staff meetings, and continuing education and training. It’s truly at the heart of what we do. This funding will enable us to renovate the space to give our kids a space they truly deserve - because they deserve the best." -Jacqueline Kronk, CEO
Hoosier Historia Arts Project
An important element of the NBA All-Star experience is the intersection of basketball with arts and culture. Hoosier Historia, tipped off last October, is an arts program aimed at giving Hoosiers and visitors alike a nostalgic look back at Indiana’s unmatched high school basketball tradition. In partnership with the Indy Arts Council and the Capital Improvement Board, the program gives Hoosiers a say in determining the 24 players, places, and moments in Indiana basketball that will be celebrated through art at NBA All-Star 2024.
The Hoosier Historia Subcommittee was formed in November to sort through hundreds of these memories, ultimately selecting 50 to be put to the public for a vote. The final 50 can be found at Pacers.com/HoosierHistoria, and on the site Hoosiers can see these stories and select their favorites for consideration. The final 24 selections, as determined by the public, will be announced on Friday, March 24 as a lead-in to the IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Once the final selections have been made, the Indy Arts Council will solicit concepts from artists across Indiana who will paint their interpretations of these players, places, and moments on six-foot tall basketball sculptures to be displayed in downtown Indianapolis at NBA All-Star 2024. The sculptures will include background information and stories for each of the items, allowing visitors to take a trip through Indiana high school basketball history.
Fans can vote for their favorite stories multiple times a day through Thursday, March 23, when voting will close in anticipation of the selections announcement the following day.
About NBA All-Star 2024
Indianapolis will host NBA All-Star 2024 Feb. 16-18, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This will be the 73rd NBA All-Star Game and the first the city has hosted since 1985.For more information about NBA All-Star 2024, please visit nbaallstar2024.com.