NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA RIVER LIONS
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The Niagara River Lions announced today a “mesh refresh” initiative in partnership with four municipalities across the Niagara Region, where members of the River Lions team and representatives from Thorold, St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls will visit outdoor basketball courts to install and/or replace mesh basketball netting on June 23 and 24.
“We are proud to launch this project in collaboration with the participating municipalities,” said Brianna Paszt, community relations coordinator for the River Lions. “With beautiful summer weather on the way, we expect outdoor courts to be busy with people of all ages, and we hope that this small improvement makes a big difference when playing on the courts.”
With basketball participation rates on the rise in Canada, more and more children and residents will be visiting their local parks, to shoot hoops and remain active. Many of the selected parks currently have no mesh on the rim, so adding one will improve the overall playing experience, while also making it easier for athletes to shoot on.
Each municipality's Parks and Recreation Department assisted in identifying which parks would receive the new Spalding meshes. The list includes:
Thorold:
McAdam Park - Corner of Morton and Ontario St, Thorold
Winterberry Park- 324 Winterberry Blvd, Thorold
Port Robinson Park - 1 River St, Thorold
“It is important that we maintain safe and up-to-date recreational equipment throughout our community at our local parks. We are grateful to the Niagara River Lions for donating new Spalding meshes that will be installed at McAdam Park, Winterberry Park, and Port Robinson Park, effectively improving the experience for people in our Thorold community who enjoy shooting hoops on our basketball courts.” – Mayor Terry Ugulini, City of Thorold
Niagara Falls:
Preakness Park - 7857 Preakness Street, Niagara Falls
Mulhern Park - 4585 Baldwin Ave Niagara Falls
Robert Keighan Park - 8030 Beaverton Boulevard, Niagara Falls
“What a cool way to make the summer brighter for kids outside in our communities! Thank you, Niagara River Lions, for bringing the mesh and for this small enhancement that will go a long way to upgrade our community basketball courts! Basketball players will be out enjoying the new mesh and I’m not going to promise this will help them up their game, but you can bet they’ll be bringing it to the courts.” – Mayor Jim Diodati, City of Niagara Falls
Welland:
Sherwood Forest Park - 115 Rolling Acres Drive
Gaiser Park - 424 Gaiser Road
“Community parks are vital to everyday recreation; being part of the “Mesh Refresh” highlights community spirit and the reminder to get and stay active.” – Amanda Degazio, Manager Business and Community Services
St. Catharines:
Barley Drive Park - 10 Barley Dr, St. Catharines, ON L2P 2M6
Glengarry Park - 63 Glengarry Rd, St. Catharines, ON L2T 2V4
Partridge Park - 22 Rockcliffe Rd, St. Catharines, ON L2R
“The City of St. Catharines welcomes partnerships that enhance our recreational facilities for the benefit of our community. In particular, the Niagara River Lions support may inspire our youth to not only get active but also hone their skills on the court- it’s really a slam dunk.” – Eric Lamothe, City of St. Catharines
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