BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse® Honors Roots with Santa Ana Basketball Court Renovation

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse®, a popular American restaurant chain, unveiled a refurbished basketball court in Portola Park, Santa Ana on April 4, 2023, as a gesture of support to the Southern California community.

The court is the site of the first BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, and the company collaborated with non-profit organization Project Backboard and the Santa Ana Parks & Recreation team for this project.

The renovation includes new blacktop, nets, and backboards, and a large-scale original mural designed to activate community spaces with art. Media.Monks and Project Backboard artists collaborated to create the mural, which features colorful pop art-inspired blocks and silhouettes of diverse basketball players. The initiative is inspired by the excitement of March Madness and aims to encourage participation in sports and foster community involvement.

During his speech, Gregory S. Levin, the CEO of BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse®, shared that the company was presented with the opportunity to refurbish a basketball court in need a few months ago, and the company accepted the opportunity without hesitation.

He mentioned that giving back to the communities they serve is embedded in BJ’s culture and that they take an active role in making their communities a better place for everyone. The BJ’s Restaurant Foundation, led by Rob DeLiema, was established over 18 years ago with a mission to do more good things for more people. The foundation’s volunteer program, called Task Force, has volunteered over 1000 community events, similar to the refurbishing of the basketball court, and donated millions of dollars to support various charities.

Levin explained that refurbishing the basketball court is just one small example of their commitment to being a good corporate citizen. The court will serve as an activity of human connection and a symbol of community strength and resilience. It will provide a place for people to gather and connect with one another, whether it’s a group of children shooting hoops after school, families enjoying a day out together, or friends gathering for a fun day of basketball. He concluded by saying that he was excited to be back in their community, where the company started. BJ’s Restaurants has been serving Southern California since its first restaurant opened in Santa Ana in 1978 and is committed to giving back to the communities it serves.

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