Background Statement
Founded in 1986 by former Denver Nuggets Player Bill Hanzlik, and Denver business leader, Ray Baker, Gold Crown Foundation (GCF) offers boys and girls basketball, volleyball, golf and enrichment programs to more than 15,000 youth annually. GCF offers camps, clinics, leagues and tournaments for 6 – 20 year olds in Colorado and surrounding states.
Since 1986, GCF has grown into one of the state’s largest youth sports providers with 16,000 participants, 1,600 volunteers and 40 program offerings throughout the year. GCF also assigns more than 15,000 basketball games throughout the year through its officiating program.
Gold Crown Enrichment (GCE) is a free, drop-in program that operates throughout the year at two locations; the Best Buy Teen Tech Center in Lakewood and the Gold Crown Clubhouse at Edgewater. GCE has seen more than 6,000 youth come through its doors since opening in 2004. Today, GCE has more than 500 active members and 20 mentors.
In 2019, GCF launched the Health Huddle, a program focused on the overall physical and mental health of youth in the community. With specific focus on mental health, healthy habits and sports performance, the Health Huddle expands GCF’s reach beyond the playing field with help for parents, coaches and patrons to address the “whole child” in mind, body and spirit.
Part of the Health Huddle program, the Healthy Kids Expo launched in 2022 and serves as the ultimate family-fun day. Around 800 youth and their families engage in interactive activities at the Gold Crown Field House, ranging from hockey, basketball, or football to mindfulness, stretching, yoga and nutrition. It’s free and open to the public and a great way to youth to learn that it’s fun and easy to live a healthy lifestyle.
GCF operates two sports complexes; Coca-Cola All-Star Park and the Gold Crown Field House.
The 56,000 square foot Field House sees approximately 500,000 people come through its doors each year and is booked more than 300 days. The facility consists of six full-sized basketball courts and/or eight full-sized volleyball courts.
Coca-Cola All-Star Park opened in 1998 in conjunction with the MLB ALL Star game. It is 90% to scale of Coors Field and is the current home field for Colorado Christian University’s baseball program. ASP also hosts CHSAA state baseball playoffs and other youth tournaments.
Additionally, Gold Crown offers free facility use to several community partners, including Special Olympics Colorado, National Sports Center for the Disabled, Jeffco Adaptive Athletics, Easter Seals, Colorado Wheelchair Basketball, Adam’s Camp, and more.
Over the years, GCF has evolved as a foundation with a focus on affordability and low-income support, offering almost $800,000 per year in scholarship opportunities. We are proud to “prepare kids for the game of life,” inside and outside of the classroom and on and off the court.