08.09.2025 

Update from Ferris World Ball and the Community That Stands With Them...Thank YOU For Showing The World That Ferris World Ball Is BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL...

To our basketball family around the world — thank you for standing in solidarity with Ferris World Ball. Your voices, your shares, your beautiful messages, and your signatures are making it clear:

FERRIS WORLD BALL IS A MOVEMENT THAT IS BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL

Message Regarding Donations Made:

If you’ve donated through Change.org, those funds do not go directly to Ferris World Ball. All donations made on that platform go to Change.org itself — helping them maintain the petition platform and promote our cause to a larger audience through their network and staff support.

While we appreciate every bit of help, what we truly need most is your signature and your help spreading the petition. The power of our movement comes from strength in numbers.

Every signature shows the world that we stand together for what’s right.

The Ferris World Ball Tournament is a 42-year-old institution because of an amazing community that has believed in it from the beginning. We all know this is BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL.

It’s about legacy, access, camaraderie, celebration, and community pride.

They may wish to destroy what they know they can never create — but Ferris World Ball belongs to the people. It belongs to the kids who grew up on these courts, to the families who came out summer after summer, and to the community that built it.

We will stand together. We will protect what’s ours.
And as a community, we will be victorious.

#ProtectFerrisWorld #42YearsStrong #BiggerThanBasketball #CommunityWins

LEGACY IN ACTION

Since 1983, the Ferris World Basketball Tournament, held annually at Gardella Park in White Plains, NY, has represented more than just a sporting event. It is a living legacy — a cultural tradition built on pride, mentorship, and unity that has shaped generations of athletes, families, and leaders across Westchester County and beyond.

Now in its 42nd year, Ferris World Ball faces the threat of cancellation due to a shooting, unrelated to the tournament, its organizers, players, or participants.  The shooting, according to local new, occurred on an entirely different street, than the tournament, and occurred after the tournament had ended. Despite no violence occurring at the event, the City of White Plains is considering actions that could jeopardize the tournament’s continuation and future.

This is unacceptable. This is targeted.  This is devastating. 

Ferris World has been a pipeline for excellence, not just locally, but globally. Players from this tournament have gone on to earn scholarships at Division I programs, play in the NBA, and represent the United States in professional leagues around the world. This is not just a basketball court — it is a launchpad for dreams and a sanctuary for positive growth.

We believe:

• Ferris World is not the problem.
• Bias should not dictate which traditions are protected.
• One of White Plains’ longest-standing community institutions should not be targeted, restricted, or dismantled because of unrelated incidents.
• Other events in the city — including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which has seen multiple arrests and public disturbances in the past — have not faced the same scrutiny, restrictions, or threats of cancellation.
•  Meanwhile, White Plains allowed a Neo-Nazi group to protest in front of City Hall in 2024 without interruption. Yet when it comes to a Black-led basketball tournament with over four decades of peaceful community engagement, the response is swift and punitive?

This is not about safety. This is about systemic bias.

We demand:

• That the Ferris World Basketball Tournament be allowed to complete its 2025 finals without disruption.
• That it be permitted to return in 2026 and beyond — without retaliation, overregulation, or discriminatory oversight.
• That the City of White Plains issue a formal statement clearing the tournament of any connection to the unrelated shooting incident.
• That the City recognize the tournament’s 42-year history as a cultural, athletic, and developmental asset to the community.
• The cancellation or forced shutdown of this event sends the wrong message — to our youth, to our leaders, and to everyone who has worked tirelessly to build something beautiful and impactful over the years.

WE WILL USE OUR VOICES AT THE POLLS TO ENSURE OUR VOICES ARE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR

Stand with us to protect Ferris World. Sign and share this petition today to defend its legacy and ensure it continues to serve as a space of pride, peace, and purpose in the heart of our city.

https://www.ferrisworldball.com/our-story

 
#ProtectFerrisWorld #42YearsStrong #ThisIsCommunity #FinishTheFinals #NoMoreBias