Hornets co-chairmen fund gym renovations across schools in Mecklenburg County

Students and staff at Ranson Middle School had a lot to celebrate.

The Charlotte Hornets unveiled a series of gym renovations Tuesday, which included a refinished court, upgraded bleachers and new backboards.

Hornets to renovate north Charlotte basketball court

The work comes through new initiative, The Chairman’s Legacy Fund, established by Charlotte Hornets co-chairmen Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall in 2023.

“They wanted to dig in to see how they could help support our students and our schools, and this is a great way to do so,” said Stephanie Seed, the education chair for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board.

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Plotkin and Schnall were among several Hornets leaders who attended the unveiling ceremony.

“Our first step was going to be a basketball court,” Schnall said. “We are a basketball team. We also believe in all the life lessons and learning that you get from sports, particularly basketball.”

The Chairman’s Legacy Fund helped renovate nine gyms across Charlotte-Mecklenburg elementary, middle, and high schools, with an estimated value of $500,000.

“Not to mention the joy it has brought to our school, the students, the staff,” added Ranson Middle School Principal Tracey Pickard.

“Especially to our schools sometimes that go quiet for a while. It definitely re-energized a community.”

The Charlotte Hornets hired the same architecture and construction firms that are currently renovating the Spectrum Center.

“For us, to be a premier franchise, we have to have a great relationship with the community,” Schnall said. “We have to have a lot of impact on the community, and this is our first step to do it.”

“We just hope that this is a gym that everyone in the school can take pride in for years to come,” Plotkin added.

VIDEO: Hornets to renovate north Charlotte basketball court