Penn Medicine, 76ers reveal refurbished community court, announce donation total
At the official unveiling of a community basketball court that Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia 76ers refurbished, the organizations announced a $144,000 donation to grassroots organizations.
As Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia 76ers unveiled their second collaboration on a community basketball court renovation, the partners announced that they will donate more than $144,000 to six local grassroots organizations seeking to end violence in Philadelphia and beyond.
Seated on the brand-new Sixers and Penn Medicine blue and red courts and with basketball legend Allen Iverson on hand, leaders from Penn Medicine and the 76ers announced the results of the 2024-25 edition of their Assists for Safe Communities program. Through it, every on-court assist made by 76ers players this past season led to a joint $76 donation pledge by the two organizations. With the 76ers’ 1,901 assists, the organizations will donate $144,476, total.
“The groups that will receive this money are tackling big problems in unique ways, and any support we can provide them only broadens their impact,” said Lori Gustave, MBA, MHA, chief strategy officer for the University of Pennsylvania Health System. “The 76ers share our mission of bettering the communities around us, and between Assists for Safe Communities and work like court refurbishments, our partnership has enabled us to tackle that mission in a variety of ways.”
The announcement came at the unveiling of the second court renovation by Penn Medicine and the 76ers, this time at the Rufus Williams Basketball Court—and its newly beautified surrounding park—in West Philadelphia. The first renovation took place in 2024 at Roberto Clemente Park in Fairmount with another Sixers legend, Julius Irving, in attendance. This time, Iverson joined for the unveiling.
"Since becoming partners with Penn Medicine in 2022, we have continuously teamed up to promote physical activity and support neighborhood safety and revitalization efforts throughout the Greater Philadelphia region," said David Adelman, 76ers Limited Partner. "This new basketball court at Rufus Williams Basketball Court will create countless opportunities for our youth to participate in, and we are thrilled to be a part of this amazing initiative."
The courts—two full ones and two half courts—featured new transparent backboards and rims and fresh surfaces with the 76ers logo at center court and “Penn Medicine” emblazoned along the sidelines.
“This is beautiful for the community and I’m so proud to be here and be a part of this,” Iverson said at the unveiling, before addressing the local kids there—including those who participate in Shoot Basketballs, Not People, an organization that benefitted from Assists for Safe Communities. “This is a preliminary step toward your futures, to your dreams, and to your success in life.”
Those kids tested out the new courts with 76ers-hosted basketball drills that worked on things like lay-ups, passing, and cutting into the key. A collection of 76ers, past and present, observed and helped out in the drills, including alums World B. Free, Marc Jackson, and current player Justin Edwards, fresh off a promising rookie season.
Amid the high energy drills, others got quick lessons in percussion from the Sixers Stixers drumline, and some had their faces painted or interacted with the 76ers’ dance team, Squad 76, who performed with the Stixers at the start of the event.
The organizations that benefitted from this season’s Assists for Safe Communities program were presented with checks at the unveiling, as well. Both Penn Medicine and the 76ers plan to continue the Assists for Safe Communities program next season, benefitting a new slate of organizations with the same mission as their predecessors.
“We’re in the process of considering new groups, but we know they’ll all be committed to providing opportunities and improving lives for people in and around Philadelphia,” said Ajeenah Amir, MS, director of Civic Engagement & Community Partnerships at Penn Medicine. “At its core, this is a program about preventing violence by investing in people and communities, and we know that there are many organizations out there doing challenging work with limited resources. We’re here to lighten their load.”