MSG4Me Mentorship Program Visits the New York Knicks Training Center
The Garden of Dreams MSG4Me program provides New York City students with invaluable exposure to industry professionals working across all areas of sports and entertainment. Each semester, a cohort of students from a Garden of Dreams community partner meet on a weekly basis with MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment employees to learn about their personal and professional journeys, absorb their wisdom through Q&A sessions, and make connections that lead to long-term relationships. These students also benefit from special hands-on experiences throughout the semester, such as the visit to the MSG Training Center described below.
Garden of Dreams Talent Show 2022 Dazzles Radio City After Two-Year Hiatus
On Wednesday, April 13th, Garden of Dreams young people took to the Great Stage at Radio City Music Hall to perform in the 2022 Garden of Dreams Talent Show, themed "Beyond A Dream."
While the Talent Show is an annual event, the program had been on hiatus for two years due to the pandemic. Some performers had been waiting to showcase their talents since originally auditioning and earning a spot in the 2020 show.
Every young person on stage and every guest in the audience will agree: it was an evening worth waiting for. Over 100 young people from Garden of Dreams partners wowed the crowd of 2,500... Read More
GARDEN OF DREAMS FOUNDATION NAMES MAGGIE JACOBS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
We are pleased to announce that Maggie Jacobs will be joining the Garden of Dreams Foundation as Executive Director. With over 20 years of experience providing quality opportunities to under-resourced children, including most recently, nine years at the New York Public Library, where she served as Director of Youth Services, Maggie will bring her expertise in leadership and youth development to our Garden of Dreams team.
During her tenure at the New York Public Library, Maggie successfully built the library's Youth Education Department from the ground up, providing programming from Early... Read More
From Student to Staff: A Q&A with Terry Fontanillas, our Foundation’s Newest Coordinator who Grew Up with Garden of Dreams
Sometimes, life comes full circle! Terry Fontanillas first learned about Garden of Dreams when he was just 6 years old. Growing up in the Bronx, Terry was affiliated with Garden of Dreams partner WHEDco, and quickly became involved with various events and programming hosted by the foundation. He never imagined he would one day be involved in the planning process of those same programs as a member of staff!
Read below to see what Terry has to say about life on the other side of the desk.
How old were you when you first became involved with... Read More
Knicks Spread Holiday Cheer with Shopping Spree
Last December, two young people and their families from Garden of Dreams partner Harlem Dowling received a special holiday gift: a shopping spree with Knicks legend John Starks.
Current Knicks player RJ Barrett recorded a video message for the two young people welcoming them to their shopping spree at Grandma's Place, a local Black-owned toy store in Harlem, where Knicks alumnus John Starks was on site to help the girls pick out holiday gifts. To cap off the event, the families were invited to Garden of Dreams Night at the New York Knicks game on December 21st. It was a day... Read More
Garden of Dreams Week: December 2021
Our annual "Garden of Dreams Week" took place between December 14th and December 21st, 2021, and did not disappoint.
We kicked off the week with a virtual hospital visit at our Garden of Dreams partner, NYU Children's Hospital, with the iconic Radio City Rockettes! The next day, Carina from Maria Fareri Children's Hospital had her dream come true when she attended Christmas Spectacular with her family and also had the opportunity to meet the Rockettes - her idols!
That Friday, New York Rangers welcomed over 50 Garden of Dreams young people and their families to Garden... Read More
New York Rangers: Chris Kreider’s Holiday Shopping Spree
This holiday season, Rangers player Chris Kreider and Rangers alumnus Tom Laidlaw teamed up to provide a special virtual surprise for a longtime Garden of Dreams family. After a tough year, Kreider knew the perfect way to brighten the holidays. Watch below see the holiday joy come to life!
Read MoreCLG Brings Joy with Holiday Surprise
Kyle, a long-time Garden of Dreams young person, was introduced to the foundation at just two years old. From Garden of Dreams partner NYU Medical Center and now 17 years old, Kyle continues to defy the odds of the severity of third-degree burns received as a child. Today, Kyle is stronger than ever and despite his physical disabilities due to the burns, he is determined to go to college next fall.
While Kyle works hard in the classroom, he is also an incredible gamer. Learn more about his story and see why Logitech partnered with Void and CLG to surprise... Read More
Knicks’ Kemba Walker Brings Holiday Cheer (and Meals) to Bronx Garden of Dreams Partners
On November 24th, 2021, current Knicks player Kemba Walker made a special holiday meal delivery to families in his native neighborhood of the Bronx, New York! With the support of Garden of Dreams, the New York Knicks, and the local Black woman-owned catering business Millie’s Peartree, Kemba provided over 300 meals to families affiliated with Garden of Dreams partners WHEDco, SCAN-Harbor, and the Department of Homeless Services. Thank you, Kemba, for being a great teammate on and off the court!
Read MoreMSG 4 Me Mentorship Students Attend Session at Radio City Music Hall
On November 11th, 2021, young people from our MSG 4 Me program attended a special in-person mentorship session at Radio City Music Hall. Students got to learn straight from industry experts Bobby, Alex, Kenny and Priscilla, and even got to have a Q&A with two Rockettes! It was an invaluable learning experience that none will soon forget.
Read MoreChild 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.