A’ja Wilson to be Honored at Columbia Parks & Recreation Foundation Event

Tickets are on sale now for the Columbia Parks & Recreation Foundation’s annual Legacy Event where former Gamecock, WNBA superstar, and Olympic Gold Medalist A’ja Wilson will be presented with an award for her contributions to Columbia’s parks, and her vast professional achievements. The event takes place on Monday, November 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the USC Alumni Center, 900 Senate St., Columbia.

Recognized by former University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides as “the greatest Gamecock Women’s Basketball player of all time,” A’ja brought her hometown alma mater its first NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2017. Upon graduation, the school set out to erect a monument in her honor. A generational talent who continues to make history, she and the USA Women’s National Team won gold at the 2022 FIBA World Cup, the Tokyo Olympics, and 2020 FIBA World Cup.

Wilson continues to give back to her hometown of Columbia, SC and in 2022 coordinated with national non-profit Project Backboard and the Parks and Recreation Department to restore basketball courts at Hyatt Park in North Columbia with stunning large-scale surface murals designed by local artist Charmaine Minniefield.

Proceeds from the ceremony will be dedicated to local youth scholarships and other activities that build Columbia parks’ facilities and programs and allow more Columbians access to our public recreational spaces. The Columbia Parks and Recreation Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization.

Tickets: https://celebrating_parks.eventbrite.com/