Donations Needed For Basketball Museum of Illinois

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Published on July 10 2017 7:01 am
Last Updated on July 10 2017 7:01 am

Illinois basketball fans believe and brag that Illinois is one of the elite states with a rich basketball tradition and history.

"We have a great opportunity to build a basketball museum and event center to show case our basketball history," said Bruce Firchau, IBCA Museum Chairman.

On March 22, Pontiac and the Illinois Basketball Association held a press conference to announce that there would be a Basketball Museum of Illinois located in Pontiac. Pontiac offered 25,000 square feet in an empty Kmart building. Pontiac will provide funds toward the renovation of the building’s interior, exterior and parking lot improvements.  The IBCA is responsible for the “build out” (drywall, electrical upgrades and flooring).

"This work has to be completed before we can bring in our display galleries," said Firchau. "Our goal is to raise $500,000 for the build out."
 
The Basketball Museum of Illinois is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Thus, all donations are tax deductible. Created is a Go Fund Me page.  The process is very simple and a receipt will be provided.  Donations of any amount will be welcome.

The Basketball Museum of Illinois will be a comprehensive facility dedicated to recognizing the rich tradition and history of basketball in the state of Illinois from the junior high level to the development of the professional game. Visitors will discover the stories of the great teams, coaches, players, officials, media, and friends of basketball in the state. Galleries will encourage active visitor participation, allowing them to experience the greatest basketball moments in Illinois history.

The primary goals are to preserve the rich history of basketball in Illinois, provide a myriad of educational outreach programs for young people in the state, and to provide entertainment to all visitors.

To donate to the GoFundMe page, visit https://www.gofundme.com/basketballmuseumofil