Renovation of Penny Lewis Community Court gets jumpstart with new benches

QUINCY — The first phase in the renovation of the Penny Lewis Community Court is complete.

Thanks to a grant from the Samantha Otte Youth Opportunity Fund, community organizations and individuals involved with youth on the northwest side of Quincy purchased and installed two sets of benches near the court, located at 818 No. Eighth Street.

“The project was much needed as the basketball court had fallen into disrepair and was unable to be used,” said Julie Shepard, the community health coordinator for Blessing Health who wrote the grant application.

In addition to the installation of the benches, the court was cleaned up and repainted and landscaping planted.

Partners in the project were Quincy Park District, Blessing Health, Bella Ease, First Baptist Church, Bethel AME Church and interested individuals.

“The placement of the benches is a huge milestone to promoting increased use of the Penny Lewis Basketball Court,” said Mark Philpot, president of Quincy Park Board. “The Quincy Park District provided an in-kind contribution in the form of light maintenance and some shrubbery removal. The result is a vast improvement on the optics of the site. Park District staff also aided in the assembly of the benches.”

The leaders of Quincy’s Bethel AME Church and First Baptist Church say the project is also important to carry on the work to which Lewis devoted her life.

“Her journey was a noble one,” said Rev. Carl Terry of Bethel AME Church. “Penny helped shape lives and helped people understand that they can do better in life. As we all know, when you know better, you do better.”

Rev. Orville Jones of First Baptist Church tells of a time when a young man Lewis knew missed his flight to Arizona to start college.

“Penny put him in her car and drove him to Arizona to get him there on time to start classes,” he said. “That is the commitment this woman had to young people. She loved them and wanted them to be successful in their academic careers.”

Lewis was a former standout basketball player and Quincy High School Hall of Fame inductee who went on to coach the women’s basketball team and volleyball team at Quincy University and coached at two colleges in Texas. She also was active in the community, having served as the director of the Redmon-Lee Center, as a Chaddock School board member and a volunteer with the YMCA and United Way. 

Lewis died in 2001 while hiking in Mount Zion National Park in Utah. The court was dedicated in her honor in 2002.

The second phase of the renovation project is yet to begin. It will be the resurfacing of the basketball court.