MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Milwaukee Bucks, Fiserv, Inc. and Nancy Lieberman Charities have made a Dream Court™ in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood a reality, with a ribbon cutting for the new court held today.
Reigning NBA Champions the Milwaukee Bucks and Brookfield-based Fiserv, a global provider of payments and financial services technology and the naming rights partner for Fiserv Forum, home of the Bucks, announced the donation as part of their commitment to the local community.
“Sports have a way of bringing people together — we saw it this summer as the people of Milwaukee roared the Bucks to victory in the NBA Finals and celebrated that historic achievement,” said Peter Feigin, President of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum. “Bringing a Dream Court to Sherman Park allows us to connect with the youngest members of our community and make a difference in their lives in a tangible way.”
The Sherman Park Dream Court is high school regulation size, 50-by-84 feet, with two new basketball goals. It features a high-performance PowerGame™ surface from Sport Court® in gray and black, with the Dream Courts logo as its centerpiece and the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv brands featured on both halves of the court.
“It was a dream for me to play on a court when I was growing up in Brooklyn,” said Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time Olympian, Nancy Lieberman, founder of Nancy Lieberman Charities. “Working with Fiserv, we will ensure more of America’s youth have a healthy space in their community, providing them the keys to success, confidence and self-esteem.”
Fiserv has an existing connection to Sherman Park through its Back2Business program, a multi-pronged initiative to strengthen small, minority owned businesses through financial support, business expertise, leading technology solutions, strategic partnerships and community engagement. Fiserv has awarded nearly 150 grants to Milwaukee-area businesses through the program, including to Confectionately Yours, a retail bakery, and Lush Popcorn, a gourmet popcorn company, both based at Sherman Phoenix.
“The Bucks, Fiserv and Nancy Lieberman Charities share a commitment to community, economic empowerment, and diversity in communities across the country,” said Frank Bisignano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fiserv. “Fiserv has deep roots in Milwaukee, and we are committed to continuing to give back. With local excitement for basketball at an all-time high due to the Bucks’ fantastic championship victory, this is the perfect time to bring a Dream Court to the city.”
“As a resident of Sherman Park for more than 40 years, I am passionate about this neighborhood and the people who live here. Providing a safe, state-of-the-art space where young people can play is one way to help lift up our community,” said Felesia A. Martin of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. “I’m grateful to our partners Milwaukee County Parks, the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, the Sherman Park Community Association, and the Milwaukee County Sherriff’s Office, as well as the Bucks, Fiserv and Nancy Lieberman Charities for helping turn this dream into reality.”
“The installation of a best-in-class basketball court in Sherman Park is truly a gift for our members,” said Kathy Thornton-Bias, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. “Having access to this court, just steps from our Mary Ryan Club, will motivate and inspire our kids to work hard, play hard and dream big.”
Since the inception of the Dream Courts program in 2010, more than 100 courts have been installed across the United States to make basketball more accessible to children and provide an environment for them to play. Over three million youth play on Dream Courts in the U.S., with each court serving approximately 120 youth per day and helping to improve the lives of over 3.6 million children a year.
About Nancy Lieberman Charities
Nancy Lieberman Charities (NLC) is a 501 (c)3 organization committed to promoting and developing healthy lifestyles and creating educational opportunities with social responsibility components for girls, boys, young women, and young men. We provide programming and mentorship on inclusion, social justice, racial equality, and civic engagement. NLC is dedicated to ensuring educational and sports opportunities exist for economically disadvantaged youth from the most-underserved communities nationally. Approximately 85% of the students we serve through our STEM and technology education programs, college scholarships, civic engagement, career readiness, basketball camps & clinics, and Dream Courts™ are from low-income families. Nancy Lieberman Charities is also heavily invested in teaching financial literacy to young African American women to prepare them for success in the workplace.
About Fiserv
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) aspires to move money and information in a way that moves the world. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and the Clover® cloud-based point-of-sale solution. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and the FORTUNE® 500, and is among the FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies®. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news.
