ATLANTA, May 27, 2015 — The WNBA Atlanta Dream announced today that on Thursday, May 28, Atlanta First Lady Sarah-Elizabeth Reed will make a declaration of Dream Cares Week in Atlanta, in conjunction with the dedication and reveal of a refurbished Dream S.T.E.A.M “Learn & Play” Center for the YWCA of Greater Atlanta’s pre-K students and participants in the after school Teen Girls in Technology (TGI Tech) program. The declaration and dedication will take place at 12:30 p.m. at the site of the new center at 957 N. Highland Avenue, N.E., in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland district.
The “Learn & Play” Center was designed by Adela Betsill, with contract work performed by BOCO LLC, a commercial interiors construction company, and refurbished in partnership with Microsoft, which is providing products and support for the Center. The Center will provide a safe place for youth to engage in math, science, technology, engineering and the arts while providing the resources for them to explore their academic interests. Betsill worked in collaboration with the Dream and YWCA staffs to create a multi-purpose space for students and teachers. The YWCA of Greater Atlanta was selected as the recipient as the largest women’s advocacy organization in Georgia that also provides direct services to more than 2,000 women, children, and families annually.
“We are proud to be able to design a fun and functional ‘Learn & Play’ Center for a deserving organization such as the YWCA of Greater Atlanta,” said Dream President and General Manager Angela Taylor. “We take great pride in our dedication to give back to the Atlanta community, and this is a great way to kick off our Dream Cares week – a week in which we will endeavor to make a lasting impact and affect change through a number of organization-wide programs and initiatives. We’re hopeful that this Center helps countless young girls to pursue their dreams and achieve greatness in the arts and sciences.”
Kimberlyn Daniel, incoming CEO of the YWCA, shares “We couldn’t be more grateful for this generous space from the Atlanta Dream. It is a wonderful gift that will give our children a great place to learn and allow us to continue our mission-driven work.”
In addition to the declaration from the First Lady, Thursday’s program will include comments from Dream representatives including Taylor and co-owner Mary Brock as well as YWCA of Greater Atlanta CEO Emily Ellison. A ribbon-cutting ceremony including children from YWCA programs who will benefit from the Center will follow.
The event will serve as the official launch of the 2015 Dream Cares Week, a week consisting of a series of daily community appearances throughout the greater Atlanta area by players, staff, owners and coaches. Appearances will emphasize the Atlanta Dream’s three core social responsibility tenets: 1) Health & Wellness (Dream Fit), 2) Education (Dream S.T.E.A.M. and Read to Achieve), and 3) Inspiring Women.
The revamped Corporate Social Responsibility strategy for the Dream will focus on holistic wellness and empowerment of our community. The organization will commit to joining with Atlanta’s citizens to encourage growth, leadership and the thriving of our youth through community engagement.
The Dream will also participate in the WNBA’s Operation Orange campaign during Dream Cares week. In Operation Orange, teams will “take over” outdoor basketball courts in public areas during WNBA Tip-Off presented by Boost Mobile. The “takeovers” will include transforming courts into everything orange including the nets, and stenciling courts and surrounding pavement with the WNBA logo. All participants will participate in the cleanup using orange work gloves and orange garbage bags. The Dream’s event will take place on May 30 from 8-11 a.m. at Ashby Circle Playlot at 987 Ashby Circle NW in Atlanta. The Dream’s Operation Orange efforts will also include a social media scavenger hunts on May 29 and June 1, and a pep rally on June 3 from 4-8 p.m. during Wednesday Wind Down at Centennial Olympic Park.
Other Dream Cares events in which the organization will participate include a Dream FIT Clinic on May 31st at North Atlanta High School prior to the team’s scrimmage against the Chinese National Team, sponsored by Coca-Cola, Grady, Georgia Power, Kaiser Permanente and Amerigroup. The Dream will also conduct random acts of kindness on June 2 and June 4, and a Fan Fest will also be held in Philips Experience prior to the team’s home opener on June 7.
About the Atlanta Dream
The three-time Eastern Conference Champion Atlanta Dream opens its eighth season in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) on June 5 at New York, with the home opener slated for Sunday, June 7 at 3 p.m. ET vs. the Connecticut Sun. The Dream, which plays its home games at Philips Arena, has qualified for the playoffs in each of the past six seasons, winning conference titles in 2013, 2011 and 2010. Season and single-game tickets for the 2015 season can be purchased by calling (877) 977-7729 or visiting www.AtlantaDream.net.
About the YWCA
The YWCA is committed to eliminating racism and empowering women through quality and affordable early childhood education, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, and Math) initiatives for adolescent girls in underserved public schools, health and wellness programs for low-income women, and racial justice and public policy programs.