Skyhawks Fan Festival 2022

The College Park Skyhawks, in partnership with CareSource, hosted ‘Back to Basketball presented by CareSource’ basketball fan festival at Welcome All Park in College Park, Ga., on Saturday, October 1, to celebrate the start of the 2022-2023 season.

The Atlanta Hawks partnership with CareSource includes initiatives that will focus on the health and wellness of the Atlanta community and underserved families to make a meaningful impact in Atlanta by helping families to meet their basic needs, such as food insecurity, childcare, and housing.

College Park Skyhawks Assistant General Manager Ty Conyers was in attendance to watch the youth participants at the Fan Festival and Basketball Clinic.

“Today’s event is huge for the community; it’s good for us to be around and teach the game, let our coaches get a pulse for the community, and see the young talent. We want to ensure that the College Park Skyhawks are around the community,” said Conyers.

The event featured a basketball clinic for local youth participants ages 5-14 and various on-site activities, including pop-a-shot and a game truck where participants could play NBA 2K. There were also special appearances from Colli Hawk, the South Side Crew, and the CareSource Georgia Market President, Jason Bearden.

Says Bearden, “Our focus is about the community and making sure we meet people where they are. We’re here to promote overall community health and wellness and community engagement. Still, at the end of the day, we want to ensure kids get the proper prevention and well-check visits they need to ensure they are healthy and thrive in their communities.”

The event was family-friendly, providing chances for families to learn more about health and wellness.

Pellet Badiane, whose son was one of the 75 youth participants, believes that events like ‘Back to Basketball’ at Welcome All Park are essential for children to be introduced to basketball.

Badiane grew up in a neighborhood in Southwest Atlanta where she often went to Ben Hill Recreational Center, just 5 miles from where Skyhawks and CareSource hosted the event.

Says Badiane, “There were not a lot of opportunities like this in my community; it’s a good opportunity for parents to let their kids try out a sport before they decide to invest in it.”

The College Park Skyhawks open the season on Nov.  4 against the Long Island Nets for the team’s Home Opening Night. CareSource will be the presenting partner of the Skyhawks’ Education Day Game, to be held on March 2.