The basketball court at Bethany Children’s Home has seen 85 years’ worth of friendly competition.
Faded paint and cracked asphalt hint at the countless memories made on the macadam at the home’s outdoor sports complex.
And thanks to the generosity of donors, Bethany’s court will soon receive the renovations needed to weather decades to come.
Officials with the nonprofit children’s home near Womelsdorf thanked donors and local and Berks County officials for their help in making the project happen at a groundbreaking ceremony March 25.
Bethany officials noted the basketball court was built in 1941.
The renovations will see the basketball court resurfaced, repainted and extended.
Another phase of the project will renovate the adjacent tennis courts and add a pickleball court.
Wesley Powers, owner and president of Lancaster Asphalt Systems, Lancaster, which will be doing the renovations, took up a golden shovel with Bethany executives to celebrate the soon-to-be revitalized court.
From left: Nick Hill, deputy chief executive officer and chief human resources officer at Bethany Children’s Home; Wesley Powers, owner and president, Lancaster Asphalt Systems; and Dr. Joseph Birli, Bethany president and chief executive officer, take up golden shovels in celebration of a donor-funded project to renovate Bethany’s basketball court. (Keith Dmochowski – Reading Eagle)
“(Basketball) is a true form of nontraditional therapy for the youth of Bethany,” said Dr. Joseph Birli, Bethany president and chief executive officer. “We’re excited for this project to carry forward the Bethany legacy, continuing to support the healing for generations to come.”
Bethany Children’s Home serves over 300 children and young adults aged 6 to 21 annually through its residential, shelter care and short-term care programs.
Donors contributed $118,000 toward the renovations over the last year, Bethany officials said.
“Every contribution represents a shared belief in our mission to providing our youth safe, engaging spaces to learn, to play like kids, and build confidence,” said Nick Hill, deputy chief executive officer and chief human resources officer at Bethany.
Hill also thanked Dana L. Hoffman, director of development, and other team members for their commitment in seeing the project through.
Dana Hoffman, Bethany Children’s Home director of development, and Nick Hill, deputy Bethany chief executive officer and chief human resources officer, thank donors, volunteers and workers for their efforts in making the court renovations happen. (Keith Dmochowski – Reading Eagle)
Mike McWilliams, educational programming supervisor at Bethany, stressed the critical role the outdoor sports complex plays in Bethany’s youth programming.
“Today we’re breaking ground on opportunity,” McWilliams said. “We’re breaking ground on hope, on a space where young people will learn, grow and discover what they’re truly capable of.”
He said the court represents a place where kids will build life skills that will serve them long after they leave Bethany.
“They’ll learn that practice matters, showing up matters, effort matters,” McWilliams said. “They’ll learn to win with grace, lose with dignity, how to communicate, resolve conflicts, how to be supportive of their teammates.”
He said the new basketball court and outdoor complex will give Bethany space to expand recreational activities, host tournaments, and create structured sports programs.
“Perhaps most importantly, the court sends a message to every young person that walks through our doors — that you matter,” McWilliams said.
Bethany officials also thanked local and county officials in attendance for their support of the project.
“Bethany Children’s home has been a community member since 1863,” said Dallan Yoh, director of membership with the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance. “It serves nearly 30 counties across Pennsylvania. For young people that have faced trauma in their lives, it’s their mission to create an environment for healing and growth. These basketball courts are a prime example of what that serves.”
Berks County Commissioner Dante Santoni Jr. congratulated Bethany on the project and thanked donors and volunteers for their efforts.
“Basketball courts mean a lot me, sports mean a lot to me,” Santoni said. “It created a lot of opportunities (for me), and I think it will do the same for the children that play here.”
The basketball court renovation is expected to finish in the next six to eight weeks, weather dependent, officials said.
“We’re hoping that our kids will be able to use (the courts) this summer,” said Dr. Joe Charette, Bethany vice president of programs and operations.
Renovations to the tennis courts are slated for a future phase and a timeline has not yet been set, officials said.
Another project to renovate the tennis court and add a pickleball area at Bethany Children’s Home is slated for the near future. (Keith Dmochowski – Reading Eagle)