The presentation was made at the second annual Paul George Celebrity Tournament, which was held at Castaic Lake on Saturday, Aug. 4, with proceeds benefiting the Paul George Foundation. Presented by Bass Pro Shops, celebrities and professional anglers came together from across the country to compete in George’s one-of-a-kind bass fishing tournament.
George grew up in Palmdale, graduated from Knight High School and often played basketball on the courts at Domenic Massari Park.
“Paul George is one of the greatest basketball players in the world and to have him working to improve the very basketball courts where he honed his craft, speaks volumes about his character and his commitment to Palmdale,” said Palmdale’s City Manager James Purtee. “It is an incredible honor for the City of Palmdale to be a beneficiary of the generosity of this foundation.”
“In Palmdale, Domenic Massari Park is a community favorite,” said Palmdale’s Director of Recreation and Culture Keri Smith. “It’s a popular park that features lighted basketball courts and tennis courts, Little League ball fields, volleyball courts, soccer fields, a fairytale themed playground and a skate park. Visit the park on any fair weather day after school or on the weekends and you’ll see hundreds of people enjoying themselves by hosting outdoor barbeques in the picnic pavilions, taking a stroll along the beautiful tree lined walkways, or participating in one of our local events. It’s a park where families, neighbors and friends build lasting memories through a myriad of activities.”
Realizing the importance of Domenic Massari Park, back in 2015, the community stepped up and began the “Revive DMP” project to preserve and protect their neighborhood park by attending park safety meetings, offering improvement ideas and becoming vigilant park users and City partners.
“Many ‘Revive DMP’ improvements have been completed; more funding is needed to complete the park revival that has begun,” Smith said.
“Paul George’s efforts are not going to stop with the basketball court improvements,” Purtee added. “As we apply for more grant funding for a large upgrade project at Domenic Massari, his Foundation has graciously offered to potentially match our grant funds. Truly, Paul George has not forgotten where he came from and is working to ensure that quality counts and will be available for the next generation.”
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Mars says
Thank You Paul George & your Organization. Families from Palmdale, Lancaster and surrounding communities are happy That There are Parks with basketball courts that we can take our family’s to to enjoy family time together and have sports options that we can teach our children. Also these Parks are a great way to get children out and engage with other children and get exercise.
Thank you
James C Ledford says
I have had the honor of meeting Paul George and his wonderful family before, they are genuinly good people. This gift shows his character is still grounded in the City of Palmdale where he grew up. We offer a hometown “Thank you” to Paul George for his generosity and look forward to partnering on improving our parks in the future.
Mr T. says
It’s incredible that he’s doing this for future generations. Now come Ball in LA!! come back home.