Given an inch, the Toronto Raptors and MLSE Foundation were intent on taking a yard in giving back.
As part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary celebration a year ago, each team was tasked with completing a legacy project committed to social impact. John Wiggins, Vice President of Organizational Culture and Inclusion, got together with his team to seek ways in which genuine appreciation for the Raptors being the country’s team could be shown.
Taking things a step further than community basketball clinics, a commitment was made last year to build a basketball court at Sheguiandah First Nation – an Anishinaabe First Nation on Manitoulin Island – located approximately a six-hour drive from Toronto. On Saturday Oct. 29, the court was launched with the goal of creating a dedicated space where youth and families can live, learn and play. Kids sang, danced, and learned some basketball skills, too.
“We’ve been up to Little Current, we’ve been up to White River, we’ve been up to Sheguiandah before with our community investment projects,” Wiggins said. “What I loved about bringing Sheguiandah forward is it’s one of those opportunities where we didn’t just go there once and didn’t return, understanding that this is a part of our country and a part of our nation that doesn’t have a basketball court.
“As much as we’ve gone up there and we’ve run some clinics and we’ve created some space and we’ve provided some equipment, they were looking for a legacy space that brought people together and allowed them to enjoy basketball as well as other elements.”
Those other elements were only made possible by working with the people of Sheguiandah. Five design sessions occurred since last November, where 15 Sheguiandah youth leaders between the ages of 12 and 26 provided input on their vision to MLSE Foundation and the Raptors. There were additional virtual meetings as well to ensure that both sides touched base at least once a month. The regular interactions played a crucial role in helping the youth leaders recognize the commitment was real and that their vision would be fully executed.
As a result, $700,000 was spent on not only building the court but improving the landscaping in the area, building a community fire pit for people to gather together, and by next spring, the expectation is that a skate park will also be accessible.
“When we started to add these elements that they thought were just being thrown into the air, it became very real,” Wiggins said. “What I saw yesterday (Saturday) was these young community leaders who I thought were gonna take on the leadership in the future really see something come to fruition that they started with as a concept and that was special.”
The court unveiling was followed by a community impact clinic for youth, led by members of the Raptors community. It was the fifth and final clinic held across five cities, impacting almost 500 youth across Victoria (Sept. 29), Edmonton (Oct. 1), Saskatoon (Oct. 3), and Montreal (Oct. 14).
Engaging in not just these opportunities, but the NBA Canada series has further peeled back just how much more can be done in terms of engaging with the Raptors fan base beyond Toronto. Wiggins’ team got to see first-hand just how much the team means to cities like Montreal and Edmonton and only furthered the desire to be present beyond Ontario.
“Yes, we’re Canada’s team, yes, we’re the Raptors, but, how do we show up during these moments in Saskatoon, in Victoria and do more than just play a game, do more than just run a clinic, how do we show up in the community, engage with them, and really give them a sense that they’re a part of Raptor nation?” Wiggins said.
“I think this last year with the project and the few weeks in pre-season and training camp are just the beginning of what we’re gonna start doing coast to coast.”