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GEM Commmunity Development Group makes landmark investment
May 25, 2021
Invests in city youth sports facility and recreation programs
Guests in attendance of the presentation, with Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, speaking at the lectern. Image courtesy of Emerald Youth Foundation |
KNOXVILLE – GEM Community Development Group has announced an unprecedented investment in city youth baseball and softball.
The more than $1.6 million philanthropic gift contains two key components:
• An investment of $1.1 million in Claude Walker Park, located adjacent to Austin-East Magnet High School, which serves the school’s teams as well as community recreation programs such as Knox Area Youth Alliance and Baby Roadrunners football. This will include new state-of-the-art turf for both fields, as well as improvements to lighting, fencing, and hitting and pitching cages.
• A recurring operational investment that will support youth sports commissions inside the city for items such as uniforms and equipment, along with additional operations support.
“Today is an exciting day for children in our city,” said Steve Davis, president of GEM Community Development Group. “As a young person who grew up in Knoxville myself, I know firsthand the value these fields have brought over decades and decades of play. After many years of heavy use, the fields are in need of improvement. We believe this investment will help transform them into a world class facility for our city’s young people.”
Although both components of the investment will be managed by Emerald Youth Foundation, Claude Walker Park will remain a city park and continue its existing program offerings. Emerald’s role will be to manage capital facility improvements, which will be done in partnership with the City of Knoxville using Elite Diversified Construction, a minority owned general contractor located in the heart of the city. Construction is anticipated to begin in early fall to ensure fields are ready for spring sports.
Claude Walker Park has been managed by William Anderson for over thirty years. “In my wildest dreams, I never could have imagined someone coming along to invest over $1 million in these fields,” said Anderson.
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