At Hoops That Help, we feel that the sport of basketball can provide kids of all ages the opportunity to keep in shape and have fun with their friends.  However, unfortunately not all kids have access to places where they can play basketball.  Courts in some neighborhoods are in terrible shape, and often the hoops themselves are missing backboards and rims altogether.

We are working hard to install new basketball hoops in communities throughout metro Detroit to provide kids more opportunities to play basketball and enjoy the sport’s many benefits. We started our effort by working with sites in the city of Detroit and surrounding areas to identify elementary schools and youth centers that are most in need. Our first court was installed in September 2017 in Midtown Detroit next to the Mosaic Midtown Church.  In October 2018, we completed installation of our second basketball court at the The Children’s Center for Autism Services, located on East Alexandrine Street in Detroit.  Most recently, we installed our third court in September 2020 at Marcus Garvey Academy, a public elementary school on Van Dyke Street on the east side of Detroit.  In 2021, we are working hard to install a court and hoop at the Living & Learning Enrichment Center for teens & adults who suffer from autism and related challenges.

In order to accomplish this mission, we are raising funds through various activities to either pay for much needed repairs to existing basketball courts or to pay for installing completely new hoops.  We hosted our first fundraising event in 2016.  Friends of ours donated their parking lot for us to charge a $5 fee per vehicle during “Art in the Park” in downtown Plymouth.  Each of the four of us took two-hour shifts to park cars over the three-day weekend.  This set us off to a great start to our fundraising endeavors.  We’ve since received donations from local businesses, community members, friends and family, and we have several fundraising efforts planned for the coming year.