Supporting local communities that host NCAA championships is a vision shared by the NCAA and its corporate partner Lowe’s. As part of that vision, NCAA Team Works and Lowe’s will join forces on May 27 at the Women’s College World Series to refurbish a community center that serves local youth in Oklahoma City.
NCAA Legacy Restorations presented by Lowe’s will bring NCAA staff, local volunteers and Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers together to provide enhancements to the Putnam City Optimist Club. The club accommodates more than 5,000 youth in softball, baseball and football activities each year in Oklahoma City. Work will include painting the concession stand, repairing facility storage areas, refreshing dugout areas, enhancing the family picnic areas and beautifying the outdoor space. The club has had an impact on the youth, as more than 60 Putnam City alumni have gone to college to earn a degree and compete collegiately in softball.
“We are thrilled to have our NCAA corporate partner Lowe's join our efforts to positively impact the youth in Oklahoma City,” said Victor Hill, associate director of NCAA Team Works and community programs. “The restoration project is another example of Lowe's commitment to NCAA student-athletes, a local community and the Lowe's Heroes volunteers, as it leaves a lasting impression in a community well after the NCAA championship has ended.”
“Lowe's is excited to partner with the NCAA to provide lasting change in Oklahoma City in celebration of the Women's College World Series,” said Troy Woodson, Lowe’s store manager of Oklahoma City. “We know improvement projects aren't a do-it-yourself job. Lasting change happens when people come together, and we are honored to have worked with the Putnam City Optimist Club to update the softball facility for families to enjoy for years to come.”
Partnering with the NCAA to further its mission linked to academics and athletics is not a new venture for Lowe’s, which brought its strong brand to the NCAA Corporate Champion and Partner Program in 2005. The home improvement company, headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, worked with the NCAA to support home builds for needy families in various communities following the devastation from hurricanes in years past. Lowe’s also honored outstanding NCAA senior student-athletes who excelled academically, athletically and who made a positive impact in their community while completing their college degrees.
In addition to the restoration at the Women’s College World Series, Lowe’s also spearheaded renovation projects this year in communities at the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, the Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis and at the Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida.
Lowe’s worked with NCAA Team Works to lay new sod, refresh dugouts, upgrade fencing and paint bleachers at the Christie Heights Community Center in Omaha. The refurbished Christie Heights Community Center, which will become the home to youth baseball leagues that will serve more than 1,200 youth a year, will be dedicated on June 11. The program, in conjunction with the local police athletic league, provides youth with a constructive outlet to be involved with sports.
Additionally, Lowe’s, NCAA Team Works and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful partnered to refurbish a gymnasium basketball court and provide landscaping to a local park during the Men’s Final Four in April. NCAA Team Works and Lowe’s also worked to build new outdoor basketball courts at a Tampa Boys and Girls Club and a United Way agency in Indianapolis, in conjunction with the Nancy Lieberman Foundation Dream Courts program in April.
