GATES COUNTY, N.C. — Gates County Community Partnership has been awarded a $5,000 Community Engagement Grant from the Obici Healthcare Foundation to support Team Partnership 2027, the organization’s spring and summer youth basketball and wellness initiative.
The grant will help fund Team Partnership’s mission of keeping local high school students physically active during the summer months while promoting healthy lifestyles, positive decision-making, academics, and community engagement. The program provides participants with a structured environment where they develop athletic skills, leadership, teamwork, and character through organized practices, competitive tournaments, youth development opportunities, and service-oriented health and wellness activities.
Unlike many travel basketball programs, Team Partnership is free to all participants, with Gates County Community Partnership covering the costs of tournament fees, uniforms, equipment, transportation, and other program expenses. By removing financial barriers, the organization ensures every team member has full access regardless of family income. The organization hopes to expand the program by adding a girls’ team, allowing even more local students to benefit from the program’s focus.
“We are incredibly excited that Team Partnership will continue into 2027,” said Benjamin C. Saunders, Jr., Director of Gates County Community Partnership. “This grant from the Obici Healthcare Foundation is an investment in the health, development, and future of our young people. We are sincerely grateful to the Foundation for believing in our vision and partnering with us to create opportunities that promote physical activity, healthy living, and positive growth.”
The organization expects Team Partnership 2027 to build on this year’s momentum by increasing participation, expanding community engagement efforts, and continuing to use athletics as a platform for developing healthy, confident, and community-minded young leaders.