*Courts of Dreams is a nonprofit organization dedicated to refurbishing run-down basketball courts in neighborhoods throughout New York City. Their goal is to bring joy and connectivity through access to safe, beautiful basketball courts, while promoting the values of the sport: teamwork, mutual respect, and leadership. Danny Cornstein and a cohort of dedicated teens, the Junior Board of Courts of Dreams, raised significant funds in 2022 to repave the basketball courts on the  Woodlawn side of the park. It is a pleasure to honor the Junior Board with this year’s Cultivating the Bronx Award.

*The Friendly Fridge BX is a community refrigerator initiative grounded in the principles of mutual aid. The first of its kind in the Bronx, the community fridge is located across the street from the park. Van Cortlandt Park Alliance will present Selma Raven and Sara Allen with this year’s annual Betty Campbell-Adams Park Angel Award for all they did for the community during the pandemic—and continue to do to ensure that everyone has access to fresh food.