Garden of Dreams Youth Tip-Off New York Knicks Season with Event at Rucker Park
On Saturday, October 8th, over 150 Garden of Dreams young people and family attended the Knicks Season Launch Event at Rucker Park.
80 young people from partners Children's Aid, Children's Village, New York Edge and Police Athletic League kicked off the day when they participated in a Jr. Knicks basketball clinic. Following that, our young people had many activities to enjoy throughout the day. These activations included face paint, photo opportunities, 360 selfie videos, and play time on the court.
The close of the festivities was a celebrity game, after which the actor Leon Robinson reenacted... Read More
MEET VANESSA: THE 2022 TALENT SHOW PERFORMER WITH AN INSPIRING PAST AND A BRIGHT FUTURE
Vanessa performed in the 2022 Talent Show after battling a rare cancer that affected, among other things, the mobility of her leg, requiring her to use a wheelchair at one point in her journey.
“Getting to perform on such an iconic stage in front of so many people meant so much more to me than just getting to sing,” says Vanessa. “For me, getting to be on that stage was a testament to all of the challenges I had faced in my life, and it was proof that I was able to come out as a better and stronger person because of it.”
Garden of Dreams Week: December 2022
From December 14th to December 21st, we celebrated Garden of Dreams Week 2022!
While the Garden of Dreams Foundation works year-round to bring life-changing opportunities to young people in need, our Garden of Dreams Week is a very special time for us to raise awareness of our work, while bringing joy to our young people and their families as part of our Season of Giving. Here are some highlights:
We kicked off Garden of Dreams Week on Wednesday, December 14th, when members of the Garden of Dreams team headed up to our partner organization WHEDco's site to help... Read More
Garden of Dreams families go behind the scenes at Knicks Open Practice
On Sunday, October 9th, Garden of Dreams youth and families gathered at Columbia University for an event usually reserved for coaches and players - a Knicks team practice.
However, this one was no ordinary practice! At the "Open Practice" event, 20 Garden of Dreams young people who represent our most enthusiastic Knicks fans sat front and center in the courtside "Dream Row," and attended a special meet-and-greet with the players after practice. One Garden of Dreams young person even participated in the "Kids Dunk Contest" to raucous applause from the crowd!
Overall, this event is one our young... Read More
GARDEN OF DREAMS ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER JILL MARTIN DONATES TO FOUNDATION TO AID YOUNG PERSON’S COLLEGE EDUCATION
This week, Garden of Dreams Advisory Board member Jill Martin announced she will donate more than $95,000 to the Foundation to go toward the college education of young person, Samantha Ortiz, from partner organization Make-A-Wish Metro New York. Samantha is a current first-year student at Fordham University.
Martin, who has previously won the Garden of Dreams "Hero Award," demonstrated exactly why she received that honor when she decided to raise funds for Samantha's tuition in lieu of accepting wedding gifts. With that incredible gesture of generosity, Martin has positively impacted Samantha's life forever. Check out this beautiful thank-you note written by... Read More
YOUNG PEOPLE KICK OFF HISPANIC HERITAGE AT COMMUNITY FESTIVAL WITH GARDEN OF DREAMS, KNICKS, RANGERS AND ROCKETTES
On Friday, September 26th, MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebratory festival at our partner organization WHEDCo's Highbridge Green School in the Bronx.
250 young people enjoyed a festive day that included Knicks and Rangers clinics, a Rockettes dance class, tattoos and face paint, back-to-school giveaways, as well as delicious empanadas! Special thanks to MSG Sports, MSG Entertainment, KIA, and WHEDco for collaborating with us to make this event so memorable!
Read MoreJASMIN’S DREAMS COME TRUE ON STAGE WITH DADDY YANKEE
On Tuesday, September 20th, Garden of Dreams young person and 2018 Talent Show alumna, Jasmin, had her dream come true at the Daddy Yankee concert!
Not only did Jasmin get to enjoy the show with her closest friends and family in a catered suite, but she was also invited up on stage by Daddy Yankee himself! Jasmin, an incredibly talented dancer, has overcome many obstacles due to a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis when she was younger. She has persevered through these challenges as a person and as a performer, and had the time of her life up on stage showing off... Read More
BRONX YOUTH VISIT OBI TOPPIN AT NEW YORK KNICKS TRAINING CENTER
On August 31st, 2022, Fatima and Yagub - two Garden of Dreams young people from partner SCAN-Harbor - headed up to the Knicks training center. Once there, they enjoyed a tour of the facility, found two jerseys customized with their names hanging in the locker room, and of course had a private shoot-around on the court with current player Obi Toppin.
In January, Fatima and Yagub tragically lost their family members and their home in the devastating fire in the Bronx. They first met Obi the following month when he took them on a shop-til-you-drop shopping spree at the Nike store... Read More
GARDEN OF DREAMS YOUNG PEOPLE JOIN TRACY MORGAN FOR DAY OF SERVICE AT QUEENS FOOD BANK
On Tuesday, August 30th, five Garden of Dreams young people joined comedy legend Tracy Morgan for a day of service at a food bank in Lefrak City, Queens.
Tracy Morgan, who was awarded the annual "Hero Award" at the 2022 Garden of Dreams Talent Show, partners with Food Bank for New York City on a regular basis to distribute food items. This August, he asked five Garden of Dreams young people from partner organization WHEDco to join him. Tracy met these students at an event for alumni of the MSG Classroom mentorship program, which is hosted in partnership between the foundation... Read More
Spotlight: Chris Falzone – Wish Child & Inspire Scholar Turned Student Associate
With the summer in full swing, it's that time of year when we welcome an ambitious college student as an MSG Student Associate to our staff ranks at the Garden of Dreams Foundation. This year, we are overjoyed to welcome Chris Falzone!
As a former Garden of Dreams young person affiliated with our partner Make-A-Wish New Jersey, Chris is no stranger to the foundation's work. Learn more about Chris' journey, including what it's like to be on the other side... Read More
Child Spotlight
Since 2006, Garden of Dreams has impacted the lives of more than 400,000 young people and families in need. Read about some of the amazing young people who have become part of our Garden of Dreams family.