Wall of Dreams

On May 10, the third annual Garden of Dreams Prom welcomed 100 teens facing obstacles, 50 from the Police Athletic League of New York City and 50 from hospital and wish partner organizations, for a night full of Hollywood dreams at Madison Square Garden.

“It means the world to me if we can take them away from their everyday for a little bit,” said Prom chairwoman and model, Damaris Lewis.

In preparation for their big night, our teens received personal shopping experiences at Macy’s and Men’s Wearhouse where they picked out their prom attire with the assistance of New York Knicks alumnus Larry Johnson and several fashion models.

“The... Read More

This year, the annual Garden of Dreams Talent Show celebrated the Foundation’s 10th anniversary with a “Decade of Dreams.” Over 100 children and teens put their troubles aside and performed on the legendary "Great Stage" at Radio City Music Hall.

After auditions, the Talent Show performers prepared for their big night with several rehearsals hosted in  Radio City’s large rehearsal hall where the famous Rockettes prepare for their performances. Our children also received extra special attention from celebrity mentors including: the Rockettes, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, dancer and model Damaris Lewis, pop singer Shawn Mendes, R&B and pop singer Andra Day, Broadway stars... Read More

On February 25, the New York Knicks and Garden of Dreams Foundation alongside Urban Word NYC travelled to Washington, D.C. as part of the “Dream Big Speak Out” program, which is designed to inspire students to engage and reflect on the African American experience as well as how Black History inspires our everyday lives.

While in D.C., the students from Garden of Dreams partner organization, SCO Family of Services, toured the White House and visited several national monuments including the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

“It’s an eye-opening and life changing experience allowing them to create more amazing art; because... Read More

On February 20, the Garden of Dreams Foundation and the New York Rangers hosted a Make-A-Dream Come True experience for Eddie Klein, a 17 year old hockey player from Foundation partner organization Hackensack University Medical Center, and his family at the MSG Training Center. When Eddie was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in early October, he refused to let it take him away from the game he loves. Throughout his chemotherapy treatments, Eddie, the captain of his high school hockey team, remained in the team’s lineup whenever possible and continued practicing to stay in shape. Since his diagnosis, Eddie has completed his chemotherapy treatments and... Read More

On Thursday, February 11, the Garden of Dreams Foundation and the New York Rangers traveled back to “Medieval Times” with 300 children from Garden Dreams partner organizations, Children’s Aid Society, Harlem Dowling, SCO Family of Services, and WHEDco as part of the “Show Kids New York” program. The children were divided into five kingdoms, each of which was captained by either a New York Rangers alumni, Ron Greschner or Tom Laidlaw, or one of the significant others of current Rangers players.

Wearing their kingdom’s crown, the children were buzzing with excitement as they took pictures with the King and Queen before heading into the main hall. Once... Read More

On Wednesday, February 10, the Garden of Dreams Foundation hosted a group of 27 pre-k children from Garden of Dreams partner organization, Children’s Aid Society, for a special Sesame Street Live Let’s Dance! Clinic at Ripley Grier Studios in Manhattan. Upon arrival, the children were greeted by a Sesame Street cast member who taught them choreography from the Sesame Street Live Show.

During their rehearsal, the kids were surprised with a visit from Cookie Monster and Elmo who joined in on the dancing fun. As soon as the characters walked into the room, the children gasped and screamed in excitement to see their favorite Sesame Street characters... Read More

On Tuesday, February 9, 20 toddlers from the NYC Department of Homeless Services had a special furry visitor to help start their morning. Ringo, a Grand Champion Siberian Husky, stopped by to meet the children before competing at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show later that week. One of the teachers said, “The children have been anticipating the dog visit and are very excited!”

While Ringo is known a Grand Champion, he has quite the resume. In addition to competing in shows, Ringo is trained in obedience as well as Rally and K9 Nose Work. His owner explained, “Ringo works and gets paid just like everyone else,... Read More

On January 25 and 26, the Garden of Dreams Foundation and the New York Knicks invited Jarell from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York for a special opportunity to fulfill Jarell’s wish of “being part of the Knicks.” The day started at the MSG Training Center where Jarell and his family received gift bags, which included personalized jerseys for each family member. Jarell was then welcomed to practice by New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher, the players, and coaching staff. After taking a photo with the team, Jarell and his family enjoyed watching the Knicks prepare for their big game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Once practice... Read More

On January 25, the Garden of Dreams Foundation unveiled the newly constructed Garden of Dreams Recording and Video Production Studio at The Children’s Village’s Dobbs Ferry campus. MSG Networks’ Rebecca Haarlow, Knicks player Kevin Seraphin, and Garden of Dreams Board Member Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels were all in attendance for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Previously an underused classroom, the studio was transformed into a fully equipped soundproof space that includes new flooring, acoustic panels, isolated doors providing ingress/egress into the recording studio, a video editing bay, lighting for video production, a music workstation as well as recording and video equipment, software and training.

“The important thing about the studio... Read More

Dream Big Speak Out has launched and is ready for the New Year! For the second installment of the program, the Garden of Dreams Foundation and the New York Knicks look to impact the lives of younger generations. Dream Big Speak Out is a program created by the New York Knicks, Garden of Dreams and Urban Word NYC, designed to inspire students to engage and reflect on the African American experience as well as how Black History inspires our everyday lives. Over the course of eight weeks, 16 teens from Garden of Dreams partner organization SCO Family of Services will meet weekly at the Urban Word... Read More