2K Foundations, the philanthropic arm of 2K that supports and inspires underserved communities by directly investing in local enrichment programs, unveiled its latest project in Toronto this week. In partnership with the City of Toronto, HXOUSE and global artists The Weeknd and NAV, the Toronto Lawrence Heights Court has received a complete refurbishment that includes a new scoreboard, backboards, repairs to the court, and an art installation designed by award-winning, multi-disciplinary artist Ben Johnston and multimedia artist Trevor Wheatley.

“The support from 2K Foundations has made a huge difference to the children in our community who truly benefit from better access to play,” said Janie Romoff, Forestry and Recreation General Manager at Toronto Parks. “In a community that’s been greatly impacted by COVID-19, the impact of 2K Foundations’ contributions are invaluable and will motivate our kids to pursue their passions on and off the court once it is safe to do so.”

“Working with my home city of Toronto and 2K Foundations on this community enrichment effort is something that is personal to me,” said The Weeknd, musician and co-founder at HXOUSE. “We’re proud to have renovated a space where kids of all backgrounds can hone their crafts and follow their passions.”

“As a Toronto native, it’s an honour to give back to the city where I grew up playing ball,” said NAV, musician. “Because basketball and hip hop can provide so many opportunities for kids growing up in this community, we designed a court and helped renovate a community centre that empowers kids of all backgrounds to explore their interests.”

Over the next year, 2K Foundations will continue its support across a variety of projects worldwide, from further investment into music programming through its new Studio 2K initiative that provides opportunities to create, learn and enjoy music, to creating more opportunities for education and learning. In addition, 2K Foundations will continue its investments in local communities through court refurbishments in partnership with globally renowned artists and athletes.

“2K Foundations was inspired by the basketball community and started with the goal of giving back to the sport that has been a huge part of our company,” said David Ismailer, President at 2K. “Over this past year, we’ve witnessed firsthand the disruption COVID-19 has brought to the world, and we’ve learned so much more about what these communities need as a result. We’ve spent the past year expanding the work we do, both on and off the court, to support projects across music, education, and more. It is with this knowledge that we continue to commit our time, funding, and talent roster to directly help these communities that inspire us, expanding our efforts across different pillars and into more parts of the world.”

Throughout 2020-2021, 2K Foundations has grown its efforts to support a number of projects, representing communities around the globe and showcasing the program’s expansion to include career and learning initiatives, expanded access to sports through golf clinics and tournaments, community enrichment opportunities through music and upgraded studios, and much more:

• Cal Johnson Park Court, Knoxville, Tenn. – Refurbished two basketball courts designed in partnership with Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker and artist Erin Miller Wray that opened October 2020, and earned a Keep Knoxville Beautiful Orchid Award for Public Art;
• Elencio Mercedes Sports Arena Court, Dominican Republic – Done in partnership with Boston Celtics power forward Al Horford, this new court is currently being installed and painted with the colours of the Dominican Republic flag;
• Nechells Wellbeing Centre, Birmingham, UK – Partnered with the City of Birmingham Rockets Basketball Club, whose club ambassador is former NBA player Hakeem Olajuwon, to renovate the current facilities and enable them to offer more community projects. It is the largest basketball club in Birmingham and delivers over 80 hours of basketball sessions to over 800 youths each week in an ethnically-rich community, but underserved area of the UK;
• Urban Ventures and First Tee, Minneapolis, Minn. – Introduced a brand-new program from 2K Foundations that looks to expose the game of golf to more Black and female youth in the area. The program provides green fees, lesson fees, and equipment to these minority groups to help them get exposed to career paths that may not have existed before;
• Ace Kids Golf, Oakland, Calif. – 2K Foundations provided an opportunity for Ace Kids Golf to create its first-ever golf tournament in March 2021, with a second tournament that took place this past month;
• Dryades YMCA, New Orleans, La. – Partnered with local youth art organization, YAYA, to create a music program with a mentor artist and young artist in training, as well as create a music lounge for youth, which includes a recording studio, instruments, and mixing equipment for them to create their own music. The program has also expanded to hosting art workshops for local youth that take place in the brand-new Dryades garden, providing a safe and creative outlet for students, with more support planned later this year.

Working directly with community leaders to address important needs, last year 2K also quickly implemented a Distance Learning Initiative, where iPads, high-speed internet and weekly educational lessons were provided to community centres in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Oakland. Families in these communities were greatly impacted by school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and these resources enabled them to continue their education in a safe setting.