Making Space for Opportunity

By Malcolm Jenkins Foundation

Sometimes the most meaningful thing a partner can offer is space. Space to gather. Space to choose. Space to learn. Space to connect. Space to be yourself.

For Get Ready Fest® 2026, Host Sponsor, Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) opened the doors of The Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center to Philadelphia families. The center gave families and community partners room to come together for a day built around access and choice.

PYB became a place for families to enjoy a full community experience—choosing coats and book bags, selecting groceries, meeting health and family service providers, exploring opportunities, and spending time together.

PYB made room for all of it.

Photo Credit: Javier Vales, City of Philadelphia

A Place Created for Youth and Families

The Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center was created with young people and community in mind. Located in North Philadelphia, the 100,000-square-foot facility brings basketball, education, wellness, recreation, leadership and community programming together under one roof.

Spaces speak before a single word is spoken. Spaces say: You belong here. ****You have room here. Your family is welcome here. Your interests matter here. When PYB opened the Sixth Man Center for Get Ready Fest®, families entered a place where they could explore at their own pace. They shopped at the pop-up grocery store. Young people chose coats and picked out a book bags with school supplies. Families met community organizations, asked questions, and decided which resources were right for them.

The size of the center gave each experience room to unfold while keeping everyone part of one shared community gathering.

A Partnership That Made Space

The right space changes what a community can do together. It gives families room to explore and partners room to bring their services to the people they hope to reach.

Thank you to Philadelphia Youth Basketball for opening the doors of The Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center and giving Get Ready Fest® 2026 a place to come to life.