On April 4, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Pacific Time), BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is assisting its Southern California community and celebrating the love of basketball by welcoming locals to the unveiling of a fully refurbished basketball court in Santa Ana, California – home of the first ever BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse location. Presented in partnership with non-profit Project Backboard and the Santa Ana Parks & Recreation team, BJ’s is giving back to its community by revitalizing Portola Park’s public basketball court featuring a vibrant, large-scale original mural for all to enjoy.
Inspired by the excitement of March Madness and to foster creativity and community participation in its own backyard, BJ’s is fully refurbishing the existing court with new blacktop, nets, and backboards. The project focuses on activating community spaces with art and brings new collaboration with Media.Monks and Project Backboard artists to create an inspiring mural in Santa Ana. Designed to motivate locals of all ages to hit the hoops, the mural transforms the court into a colorful oasis featuring silhouettes of a diverse group of basketball players with pop art-inspired color blocks. BJ’s Restaurants has been based in Southern California since opening its first restaurant in Santa Ana in 1978 and believes in not only serving as a destination for guests to enjoy great food and brews but is also committed to giving back to the communities outside of its walls.
On April 4 starting at 2 p.m., the City of Santa Ana & BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse will invite community members to Portola Park for a can’t-miss afternoon of BJ’s signature dishes including their world-famous Pizookies, giveaways and shooting hoops with free BJ’s branded basketballs, while supplies last. From an unveiling ceremony and city all-star game to a slam dunk exhibition and a Santa Ana girls youth basketball practice, fans are guaranteed a game day they will never forget!
“BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is all about giving our guests a memorable, magical experience,” says Heidi Rogers, Senior Vice President of Marketing at BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. “This March Madness season, we are excited to bring that same passion and love of sports to our local community by creating an inspiring, inclusive community hub for locals to enjoy for years to come.”
“I want to thank BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse and Project Backboard for making this magnificent basketball court possible,” Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua says. “I love that it serves not only as a recreational resource that will be greatly enjoyed by the community, but also a work of art that will beautify the neighborhood.”
“At Project Backboard, we believe everyone, in all communities, deserves a safe and inviting place to play basketball,” adds Dan Peterson, Founder of Project Backboard. “This particular project is special for us because, similar to BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Project Backboard is based in Orange County. The inspired design came from a collaboration between Project Backboard, the City of Santa Ana and MediaMonks. “
