The Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation announced the recipients of the 2023-24 Devin Booker Starting Five grants today.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The five grants Booker will be giving this season will fund two basketball court renovations and three learning centers.
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 12, 2024
“Devin is passionate about giving back to the Phoenix community and his Starting Five program demonstrates his commitment to support nonprofits here in Arizona and continues to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children and families throughout the Valley,” said Sarah Krahenbuhl, executive director of Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation, in a release.
The release details the court renovations and learning center funds:
“Two Phoenix parks, including Central Park and Palomino Park, managed by City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, will each receive funds to renovate a basketball court featuring a Devin Booker Starting Five mural painted by local artists.
The grants will extend into the classroom with the creation of learning centers at three nonprofits in the Valley.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley – Ed Robson Family Branch: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley provides a safe, positive and fun environment for children after school and in summer. The grant will be used to build an esports room with video games and technology at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley – Ed Robson Family Branch.
- Child Crisis Arizona: Child Crisis Arizona offers emergency shelter and residential care for children and youth from birth to 21 and offers foster care and adoption services, early education as well communitywide parenting classes, workshops, support groups and more. The grant will build a literacy and learning lab at Child Crisis Arizona to promote healthy child development and improve access to community resources.
- Neighborhood Ministries: Neighborhood Ministries is a hub of community activity, providing a safe place for youth to engage in sports, activities and the arts. The grant will allow Neighborhood Ministries to revamp their leadership room which will offer a learning lab space for youth to develop leadership qualities through education assistance, mentorship, workforce development programming and life skills training.”
This is the fifth year of the Devin Booker Starting Five Program in partnership with the Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation.
Upon the creation of the program in 2019, Booker pledged $2.5 million, which has now been fully funded by way of 25 grants to support the local community and positively impacted children and families in need across Arizona.
The release also announces that “Booker and Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation will team up with an artist to create a limited-edition apparel line available in the 2024-25 NBA season.”
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
