 Good morning, good morning. What I'm doing my name is Chris Jackson. You guys may have seen me on TikTok doing basketball things. You may have seen me playing with the Harlem Globetrotters. You may have seen me on a Netflix show called The Circle. But today I have the honor and pleasure of being your emcee for this event where we're able to bring the community together. We're able to give back to the community. Now, as we all know, things have changed. People aren't going outside as much. Kids aren't really going outside as much. But we know that youth is our future, right? But it's hard to get them off of the games. It's hard to get them off of the phone. Y'all just be wanting to take talk all the time. But we want y'all outside and active, right? But sometimes there's not a safe place, a safe place for them to be active. But that's the reason why Buffalo Wild Wings and Mountain Dew Legend came together with Project Backboard to be able to give back to the community, refurbish a court in this community so that the kids can have a safe place to play. Yes. I know, I wish I had that when I was younger. It was definitely hard to find a place to play. So that's why I would have to say we went to the track a lot when my dad and when I played. It's very unorthodox. I know, I know. But I want to give a chance to the people who are able to put this all together and give them a chance to speak a little bit. And we will start off with Kyle Lazarus with PepsiCo representative. Good morning, everyone. All right. Well, Kyle Lazarus here from PepsiCo, thank you so much for coming out, here representing both Buffalo Wild Wings and PepsiCo. And we're really excited to be here. We share a love of the game of basketball, the same as all of you do. And with that, to be able to partner with Asia Wilson, an absolute legend of the game, and revamp this court for her hometown, it was an unbelievable serendipitous project that came together. And so that shared passion we have and values for supporting local communities and youth sports really made this partnership and the project entirely possible. And so I want to really thank her for her involvement in this. I also want to give a shout and recognize the Project Blackboard and Charmaine and Sienna Menifield here for their vision as they worked really diligently for the amazing artwork you have behind you and refurbishing this court. So thank you. And of course, we also want to thank the city of Columbia. Thank you for welcoming us into your home, making us a part of this and allowing us to have an impact here. We really appreciate your partnership. So with that, I would just want to say one last word to the future legends who are here. Please take a full advantage of this space, get outside, enjoy, play, have fun, and really continue to thrive on and off the court. And you really are the future. We look forward to seeing what you all do. And so with that, please join me in welcoming your city manager, Teresa Wilson. Good morning. I was so thrilled, first and foremost, of course, to see Asia and town. Hey girl. And then all of our wonderful Eau Claire High School young ladies right behind her are up and coming stars. So as Carissa said, and Cal mentioned across the country, Project Blackboard has brought large scale works of art to communities and spaces where they can easily be seen and enjoyed by everyone. And I think we see these bright, beautiful colors. And so today is thrilling to be here for the dedication of this incredible urban tapestry from artist Charmaine Menifil, which is the result of Project Backboard's partnership with our own Columbia Parks and Recreation Department. I want to thank Project Backboard, as well as Project Partners Buffalo Wild Wings, Pepsi and Mountain Dew for bringing this project to Columbia and Hyatt Park. Those well-loved companies not only fund these art projects, but make the local community connections, help identify and coordinate with the artists, bringing talent and resources we need to transform the courts and provide the overall support to ensure completion of these projects. I'm gonna go off script a little bit because my staff knows I do that sometimes. But this donation, this right here, may allows the city to be able to do even more because now this is done as something we always wanted to do so we can focus resources to continue to make Hyatt Park and this community even better. So it's very transformational. It's very meaningful. And I want to thank our own Parks and Recreation Department. Where are they? Because it wouldn't have happened without them. Under the leadership of Assistant City Manager Henry Simons and Parks and Recreation Director Randy Davis, they always lead from the front, so proud of them. And finally, Asia, from one homegrown girl to another. I am so proud of you. I watched you grow up and all the accolades you have are meaningful, well-deserved, but honestly for me, it's when I see your confidence and your grace and character instilled by the two people on both sides of you, my friends Eva and Roscoe. It makes it mean everything. So, yeah, so when they're beaming the way they are, it means everything. So keep doing what you do girl, we're proud of you. All right, so next up we have Mayor Daniel J. Rickerman. Well, you know, we're a little off script this morning because I thought we were supposed to hear it from the band before I got up here because you know, part of my remarks this morning was recognizing our Benedict Tigers over there. And I will tell you, it's exciting. Some of y'all may not know, but they're going to be in the Macy's Day Parade in two weeks representing, it's just a honey bee, Asia. But also have to give out, I know they're going to have a great halftime show today because Benedict is playing Tuskegee and the championship gaming Columbia, South Carolina today. Very excited about that. We're also going to hear this morning from Mimi Draft, the president of the Hyatt Park, Keenan Terrace neighborhood about how this is so impactful for the community. But a collaborative effort like this large scale effort wouldn't happen and it wouldn't happen today if it wasn't for Asia's support. And you know, we talk a lot about former lady Gamecock but she was also the freshman SEC player of the year and AP player of the year three times and all SEC player three times. Let's not even forget about MVP, block leader, all defensive. I mean, I could sit up here for the next two hours talking about all these accolades. But I agree with Ms. Wilson, it's your grace. It's what you learn from your parents about giving back and being part of the community is probably the top. That's a hall of famer for me and thank you for being part of our community. Thank you for remembering Columbia, South Carolina even though you love being in Vegas, we love you back here. You may be number 22 on the court but you're number one in our hearts and we appreciate it all that you're here and you're doing what you're doing. But you also, I encourage everybody to come out and take a look at what Charmaine has put together here and this thing, what, beautiful, beautiful. You all deserve more than a hand but I think we're going to start with that. It's wonderful. Thanks everybody from out here, young ladies, young ladies, shamrocks. We hope to see you here next time. Give them back to your community as y'all continue to soar both academically, athletically and in life. Thank you. I would also like to just say how beautiful of a day I was told that it's been really rainy and what a perfect day for the sun to shine, right? Absolutely. All right, next we have Councilwoman Tina Herbert. Good morning, everyone. I'm gonna go off script too, that's what we do sometimes. But no, this is a full circle moment for me because the first time I heard about Asia was in a city council meeting and I was like, who is Asia? And someone was like, you gotta meet Asia, you gotta see who Asia is. And I was just like, well, I don't understand what the big deal is because, you know, my family had, they maybe got ballless too. Little did I know, little did I know what Asia would become. And so I've watched you playing and with the mentors, it's been wonderful to watch your maturity. And you, and I had to just agree with Ms. Wilson, to go away and then to be able to give back and be the example to other kids who wanna play ball and show them how it can be done and done the right way is so much of what we need these days. So I'm very grateful to you and your parents because I know they instilled all of that into you. So to the script. All right, the Dazzling New Large-Scale artwork from Charmaine Menifil helps the center Hyatt Park as a cultural center for Eau Claire and further North Columbia communities. Charmaine's brilliant artwork like the vivid mural bringing life on the side of the building speaks to this community but it also speaks of this community. Public art like Charmaine's mural and this basketball court allows us to reveal the stories about ourselves, our communities, our perspectives on our past and the vision of a shared future. And it's all for free and all for everyone to see. So again, we do want everyone to come out and play out here, get some exercise in. And I will tell you, we're having a hard time getting kids to come back out and play ball. So I'm hoping that the excitement of this particular part and what Asia has done here will encourage the kids to come out. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you. I know if I, as a child, if I saw a court like this, I'd be honored every day, every morning, you know, but yes, okay. Next is gonna be President Mimi Draft with Hyatt Park Kenan Terrence Neighborhood Association. Good morning, everybody. On behalf of the Hyatt Park Kenan Terrence Neighborhood Association, we wanna give a huge thank you to PepsiCo and Buffalo Owings, to Asia Wilson, to Project Backboard, to Miss Manifield, and especially the city's parks department for putting this together for us. I am also gonna go off script and say I am an Eau Claire High School graduate, Shamrock, and my sister and her husband are Benedict alum. And I think what we all know, about this area is that there's something special and beautiful about the Northman Corridor, and I'm just touched, and the community is also touched, that you all bought this beautiful artwork installation to us, and so just thank you again from the bottom of our hearts, and I can't wait to see some kids out here as well. Y'all have a good morning. I'm back. Like I ain't never left. I also wanna recognize Counsel Taylor and Counsel Duvall. Thank you so much for participating in this as well. We give them a round of applause. Thank you. All right. Now, time you guys have all been waiting for. I feel like I need like a beat or something like for this, like a doom, doom, a doom, doom. Come on, somebody, come on. National champion, two-talk sensation. Four shots in, if you know it. It's funny. No. Oh man, four shots in. Good gracious. It's not even noon yet. But no, thank you so much for everything. This has been a huge, huge weekend so far, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for people around me that loves me. And I think Columbia is number one always in my heart. That's home, no matter what. I know I live in Vegas, but I never lose sight of where I come from and Columbia is done. The state of South Carolina has done so much for me, but I gotta first thank my agent, Jade, of course. For just partnering me with people that really care about Asia more than the basketball player. And that is Buffalo Wild Wings and Mountain Dew and Pepsi all the way. It's a joy to be a part of that family because they allow me to be who I really am. And that is to really be in the community and help the next generation. I'm all about planting seeds. I'm all about what can we do better? How can we grow better as just people and even as players? So I can't thank enough for everyone. I mean, this court is beautiful. When we were taking pictures, it was just like you gotta see the wings that I look and it's wings like this so big, especially in this community because my parents, my grandparents did not live too far from here. So to come back and to give back, it's huge to me. And there I am going off script. I gotta make sure I hit every point because I don't want to miss anyone out. But this court is gonna be special because it gives the young generation an opportunity to be the next Asia. It goes to the next LeBron James and next whoever you want to name. And that's where it all goes. And I know it's hard to get kids out here because of course everybody wants to be on their phones. Everybody want to tick tock. Everybody want to be famous and influenced. But there's nothing like the sun. You gotta get that. That's huge. It's always good to get your body moving a little bit. But it's been a joy to watch this all come together. I see my BCBC. You know, you know Tigers over there. I love seeing Eau Claire out here as well. My dad went there, kind of got some buckets there. But no, this has been great. I love to see it come to life. This is gonna be probably my baby. Every time I'm coming back here, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna drive by here just to make sure somebody out on the court whether you're getting a bucket or just walking and enjoying some nice little sunshine. So thank you. Can't thank y'all enough. I know I said that so many times, but no, I am truly grateful and blessed to be able to have this in our community and bring it to life. So let's have some fun on it. Enjoy the day. Hopefully BC, you know, get they dub. And yeah, let's just have a good time. So thank you. But thank you so much.