The Trae Young Family Foundation Unveils Gymnasium Renovation at Atlanta Youth Academy
Tuesday, September 26th, 2023
Today, the Atlanta Youth Academy (AYA) hosted an event to celebrate the unveiling of renovations to the Teem gymnasium, made possible through the generous support of the Trae Young Family Foundation (TYFF), led by NBA All-Star and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.
The event was a day of celebration that highlighted the remarkable transformation of the gym, and the TYFF’s commitment to youth of all ages and investing in the community. It included a symbolic “first basket” and swag handouts to both students and faculty.
The donation provides the school with a completely refurbished gym floor, custom signage, and décor. Other renovations include: new scoreboards, new wall padding, additional backboards, and a new sound system.
“I truly want to make a difference here in the Atlanta community,” said Young. “The Trae Young Family Foundation's commitment to mental health resources and education perfectly aligns with the AYA’s gym refurbishment initiative. It provides a first-class haven for children to flourish physically, emotionally, and spiritually through sports and exercise.”
Young and his parents met with students to talk about the gym, the importance of working hard and listening to their parents. They also handed out signature shoes for faculty; t-shirts and backpacks for students; and basketballs for the newly renovated gym and AYA’s three school teams.
“AYA is grateful for Trae’s involvement and the influence he will have on AYA’s students,” said Peter Rooney, president of AYA. “The refurbished gym will provide thousands of recreational hours to AYA’s students from physical education classes to basketball practices and games to after-school activities. It will also encourage the completion of the new baseball field and other gym renovations.”
Earlier this year, Young’s Foundation made a holiday donation to AYA that covered every breakfast, lunch, and afterschool snack for all 151 students. That covers over 3,000 lunches, over 2,000 hot breakfasts, and over 1,900 after-school snacks.
The AYA is a vital part of the Atlanta community, for the past 27 years it has offered a Christian education for students pre-K through eighth grade from underserved communities. The school is designed for urban youth whose families believe in the importance of education but who do not have access, either financially or geographically, to private schools.
