Preserve Nick Vero's Legacy-Save the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court
The Issue
Don't Let This Community Court Disappear
Preserve Nick Vero's Legacy – Save the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court
To the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, Saint John the Evangelist Parish, the City of Attleboro, and all parties involved in the future of the Holy Ghost Church property and adjacent basketball court:
Our Request
We respectfully ask that the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court be preserved as a permanent public community space by transferring ownership to Nick Vero's Superheroes, the City of Attleboro, the Portuguese American Club, or another organization committed to maintaining free public access.
This petition is not intended to stop the sale of the church. We understand and respect the difficult decisions surrounding church property. Our request is simply that the basketball court be preserved so it remains a safe, welcoming place for children, families, and our community for generations to come.
A Court Built by a Community
In 2017, following the tragic loss of 17-year-old Nicholas "Nick" Vero, our family created Nick Vero's Superheroes to honor Nick's legacy of kindness, generosity, compassion, and community service. Our mission has always been simple: to continue the work Nick would have done by bringing people together and making a positive difference in our community.
One of our very first projects was restoring the abandoned basketball court on the former Holy Ghost Church property on Prairie Avenue in Attleboro, adjacent to the Portuguese American Club. The court had been neglected for years. It was cracked, overgrown, unsafe, and unusable. Thanks to an incredible outpouring of generosity from our community, more than $50,000 in financial contributions, donated materials, professional services, and countless volunteer hours transformed that forgotten space into a beautiful, safe, and welcoming place where children, families, and neighbors could once again gather.
But rebuilding the court wasn't just about basketball. It was our family's way of giving back to the community that carried us through the most difficult time in our lives. After Nick passed away, the people of Attleboro surrounded us with love, compassion, prayers, and unwavering support. They lifted us up when we were at our weakest. This project became our opportunity to say thank you by creating something that everyone could enjoy—a place where kindness, connection, and hope could continue to grow.
Today, our community faces new challenges. Families continue to feel the lasting effects of COVID-19, economic uncertainty, rising housing costs, and the increasing cost of living. As these pressures grow, free and accessible community spaces have never been more important. Places where children can safely play, families can spend time together, neighbors can connect, and lifelong friendships can be built are not simply pieces of property—they are investments in the health, well-being, and future of our community.
For many of us, this property also holds decades of memories. We grew up here. We played basketball, attended arts and crafts, participated in parish events, built lifelong friendships, and created memories that shaped our childhoods. Restoring this court was about far more than repairing asphalt—it was about preserving a place where future generations could experience that same sense of belonging.
Our Understanding
During the renovation of the basketball court, the parish sold the former CCD building, which was later converted into a daycare and food pantry. The parish later became St. Vincent de Paul and is now part of Saint John the Evangelist Parish.
Throughout these transitions, our understanding was that the basketball court would continue serving the community and that one of several options would preserve public access:Transfer ownership to Nick Vero's Superheroes
Transfer ownership to the City of Attleboro
Sell the court to the Portuguese American Club
Each of these possibilities shared one common goal: ensuring the court remained an open, safe, family-friendly community gathering place while preserving Nick's legacy of kindness, generosity, and service.
Our Commitment Never Ended
For nearly a decade, Nick Vero's Superheroes has continued to maintain and care for the court entirely through volunteers and donations, at no cost to the parish.
Every year we continue to:
Replace basketball nets
Repaint court lines
Landscape the property
Make repairs
Clean and maintain the grounds
Ensure the court remains safe and welcoming
Today, if you drive by almost any afternoon or evening, you will find children, teenagers, parents, grandparents, and families using the court exactly as it was intended. It has become one of the few free outdoor recreational spaces in the neighborhood—a place where children can simply be children and where our community comes together.
Why We Need Your Help
We recently learned that the Holy Ghost Church property is being sold. While we respect the difficult decisions surrounding the sale, we are asking that the basketball court not be lost in the process.The people of Attleboro invested far more than money into this project.
They invested their time.
Their talents.
Their labor.
Their generosity.
Their hearts.
Selling the basketball court as part of the property would place at risk years of charitable giving, volunteer service, and community investment. More importantly, it would take away a safe, free, family-friendly place that continues to benefit hundreds of children and families every year.
Nick's Own Words
Before he passed away, Nick wrote a letter to his future self.
In it he wrote:
"Remember no matter what, never give up hope on anything. Try your hardest at everything and keep high expectations."
Although Nick never had the opportunity to read those words himself, they have become the guiding principle behind Nick Vero's Superheroes.
This basketball court is more than pavement, hoops, and painted lines.
It is a place where hope is renewed.
Friendships are formed.
Families gather.
Children dream.
Neighbors become friends.
Kindness lives on.
Please Stand With Us
We respectfully ask the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, Saint John the Evangelist Parish, the City of Attleboro, and all parties involved in the future of this property to preserve the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court as a permanent public community space.
This is not simply a basketball court.
It is a symbol of hope.
A symbol of kindness.
A symbol of resilience.
A symbol of what a community can accomplish when it comes together.
As St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote:
"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love."
Those words reflect exactly how this court came to be.
Every volunteer.
Every donor.
Every business.
Every child.
Every family.
Together, we transformed tragedy into hope.
This is not just Nick's legacy—it is Attleboro's legacy.
Please help us ensure this special place remains open to everyone, where children and families can continue to come together, create memories, never give up hope, and experience the love and generosity that inspired its creation.
Thank You for Standing With Us
Together, we are keeping hope alive.
Together, we are working to preserve this court exactly as it was always intended to be—a safe, welcoming, family-friendly place for everyone.
With gratitude,
The Juaire & Vero Family
Lindsey • Alicia • Brittany • Ben • Dona • Rick • Jay • Jayden • Jocelyn • Nathan
How You Can Help
✅ Sign this petition.
✅ Share this petition with family and friends.
✅ Contact the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River and respectfully ask them to preserve the court.
✅ Contact the Mayor and Attleboro City Council and encourage them to work with the Diocese to protect this community resource.
✅ Share your memories and photos of the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court using #SaveNickVeroCourt.
21
The Issue
Don't Let This Community Court Disappear
Preserve Nick Vero's Legacy – Save the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court
To the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, Saint John the Evangelist Parish, the City of Attleboro, and all parties involved in the future of the Holy Ghost Church property and adjacent basketball court:
Our Request
We respectfully ask that the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court be preserved as a permanent public community space by transferring ownership to Nick Vero's Superheroes, the City of Attleboro, the Portuguese American Club, or another organization committed to maintaining free public access.
This petition is not intended to stop the sale of the church. We understand and respect the difficult decisions surrounding church property. Our request is simply that the basketball court be preserved so it remains a safe, welcoming place for children, families, and our community for generations to come.
A Court Built by a Community
In 2017, following the tragic loss of 17-year-old Nicholas "Nick" Vero, our family created Nick Vero's Superheroes to honor Nick's legacy of kindness, generosity, compassion, and community service. Our mission has always been simple: to continue the work Nick would have done by bringing people together and making a positive difference in our community.
One of our very first projects was restoring the abandoned basketball court on the former Holy Ghost Church property on Prairie Avenue in Attleboro, adjacent to the Portuguese American Club. The court had been neglected for years. It was cracked, overgrown, unsafe, and unusable. Thanks to an incredible outpouring of generosity from our community, more than $50,000 in financial contributions, donated materials, professional services, and countless volunteer hours transformed that forgotten space into a beautiful, safe, and welcoming place where children, families, and neighbors could once again gather.
But rebuilding the court wasn't just about basketball. It was our family's way of giving back to the community that carried us through the most difficult time in our lives. After Nick passed away, the people of Attleboro surrounded us with love, compassion, prayers, and unwavering support. They lifted us up when we were at our weakest. This project became our opportunity to say thank you by creating something that everyone could enjoy—a place where kindness, connection, and hope could continue to grow.
Today, our community faces new challenges. Families continue to feel the lasting effects of COVID-19, economic uncertainty, rising housing costs, and the increasing cost of living. As these pressures grow, free and accessible community spaces have never been more important. Places where children can safely play, families can spend time together, neighbors can connect, and lifelong friendships can be built are not simply pieces of property—they are investments in the health, well-being, and future of our community.
For many of us, this property also holds decades of memories. We grew up here. We played basketball, attended arts and crafts, participated in parish events, built lifelong friendships, and created memories that shaped our childhoods. Restoring this court was about far more than repairing asphalt—it was about preserving a place where future generations could experience that same sense of belonging.
Our Understanding
During the renovation of the basketball court, the parish sold the former CCD building, which was later converted into a daycare and food pantry. The parish later became St. Vincent de Paul and is now part of Saint John the Evangelist Parish.
Throughout these transitions, our understanding was that the basketball court would continue serving the community and that one of several options would preserve public access:Transfer ownership to Nick Vero's Superheroes
Transfer ownership to the City of Attleboro
Sell the court to the Portuguese American Club
Each of these possibilities shared one common goal: ensuring the court remained an open, safe, family-friendly community gathering place while preserving Nick's legacy of kindness, generosity, and service.
Our Commitment Never Ended
For nearly a decade, Nick Vero's Superheroes has continued to maintain and care for the court entirely through volunteers and donations, at no cost to the parish.
Every year we continue to:
Replace basketball nets
Repaint court lines
Landscape the property
Make repairs
Clean and maintain the grounds
Ensure the court remains safe and welcoming
Today, if you drive by almost any afternoon or evening, you will find children, teenagers, parents, grandparents, and families using the court exactly as it was intended. It has become one of the few free outdoor recreational spaces in the neighborhood—a place where children can simply be children and where our community comes together.
Why We Need Your Help
We recently learned that the Holy Ghost Church property is being sold. While we respect the difficult decisions surrounding the sale, we are asking that the basketball court not be lost in the process.The people of Attleboro invested far more than money into this project.
They invested their time.
Their talents.
Their labor.
Their generosity.
Their hearts.
Selling the basketball court as part of the property would place at risk years of charitable giving, volunteer service, and community investment. More importantly, it would take away a safe, free, family-friendly place that continues to benefit hundreds of children and families every year.
Nick's Own Words
Before he passed away, Nick wrote a letter to his future self.
In it he wrote:
"Remember no matter what, never give up hope on anything. Try your hardest at everything and keep high expectations."
Although Nick never had the opportunity to read those words himself, they have become the guiding principle behind Nick Vero's Superheroes.
This basketball court is more than pavement, hoops, and painted lines.
It is a place where hope is renewed.
Friendships are formed.
Families gather.
Children dream.
Neighbors become friends.
Kindness lives on.
Please Stand With Us
We respectfully ask the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, Saint John the Evangelist Parish, the City of Attleboro, and all parties involved in the future of this property to preserve the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court as a permanent public community space.
This is not simply a basketball court.
It is a symbol of hope.
A symbol of kindness.
A symbol of resilience.
A symbol of what a community can accomplish when it comes together.
As St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote:
"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love."
Those words reflect exactly how this court came to be.
Every volunteer.
Every donor.
Every business.
Every child.
Every family.
Together, we transformed tragedy into hope.
This is not just Nick's legacy—it is Attleboro's legacy.
Please help us ensure this special place remains open to everyone, where children and families can continue to come together, create memories, never give up hope, and experience the love and generosity that inspired its creation.
Thank You for Standing With Us
Together, we are keeping hope alive.
Together, we are working to preserve this court exactly as it was always intended to be—a safe, welcoming, family-friendly place for everyone.
With gratitude,
The Juaire & Vero Family
Lindsey • Alicia • Brittany • Ben • Dona • Rick • Jay • Jayden • Jocelyn • Nathan
How You Can Help
✅ Sign this petition.
✅ Share this petition with family and friends.
✅ Contact the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River and respectfully ask them to preserve the court.
✅ Contact the Mayor and Attleboro City Council and encourage them to work with the Diocese to protect this community resource.
✅ Share your memories and photos of the Nick Vero's Superheroes Community Basketball Court using #SaveNickVeroCourt.
The Decision Makers
Petition Updates
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Petition created on June 28, 2026