Leaving ‘Love’ Behind
Where it Began
On the very first Hoopbus there is a blowhorn. It’s meaningless to most who pass through the bus, but to those who know the story, it's a keystone. An artifact marking how the Hoopbus began and what it stands for.
In 2020, during the first Show Love Tour, the bus took off across the country. It was a time of chaos: the murder of George Floyd, the peak of COVID-19, and widespread distrust in government leadership. The world was unraveling. And into that mayhem drove a giant school bus, mounted with a Black Lives Matter backboard and carrying a crew of 40 people.
Enter the blowhorn.
Members of the original team still say they can hear it in their bones. It echoed through packed city streets, parting crowds and making way not just for the bus, but for the energy it brought: one of healing, unity, and action.
This was the beginning.
The Reason
In Season 2 of the viral TV series, The White Lotus, the character Portia struggles to find meaning in a chaotic world. She confesses her desire to feel satisfied with life, but admits feeling overwhelmed by all the negativity that defines our times. Her worldview is challenged when Jack, a reckless yet oddly grounded traveler, tells her, “We’re living in the best time in the history of the world, on the best f***ing planet. If you can’t be satisfied now, you’re never going to be. You’ve just got to live every day as it comes.”
That raw, unfiltered philosophy is not unlike what the Hoopbus brings to communities across the country. It doesn’t deny the messiness of the world; it shows up because of it. With a hoop, a bus, and a mission: to spark joy, to connect, to remind us that this moment, where we laugh, hoop, and come together, can be enough.
2025 — Show Indy Love pt.2
Willard Park
“Before there were needles strewn about the ground,” said Jason Williams. Now, in that same space stands an open-book skate structure, built in honor of his son, Ethan Williams, a vibrant young leader, skater, reader, and member of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council. Ethan had dreams of studying in New York, In 2020, he was murdered there. A senseless act of violence with real, enduring pain. Jason chose to fight back with purpose.
Public spaces matter. They give youth room to breathe, to play, to focus their energy. A court or a ramp seems simple, but it can change lives. Given the choice between structure and chaos, many kids will turn away from violence and choose joy if it's offered.
That’s why Hoopbus chose Willard Park for its next court refurbishment. Over the course of a week, the court came alive, resurfaced, painted, lined, and fitted with a brand-new goalpost. On the court, in big block letters and bold colors, we left behind one word: LOVE.
At 8 PM the night before the court’s grand opening, the space was already vibrant. Little girls played hopscotch. Two boys ran a game of ones. Parents watched from the sidelines. It was a beautiful scene, born from intentional investment in a place and its people.
Willard Park: The process of the refurbishment
Eli’s Light
Eli, an eight-year-old member of that community, is the youngest of 10 kids. He believes he was once an elderly man, and his maturity and poise make you believe it. Eli is Hoopbus’s only two-time MVC (Most Valuable Character) winner.
Meeting him will change your perspective, as less than a year prior, him and his family were split between two shelters. He and his siblings have been attending Urban Hope events for months. A local videographer, Harrison, who has been working with them for a couple of months, noticed they are “always there and have positive attitudes, so it was really cool to see them all succeed together. I was standing next to them with my camera, and not only were they smiling, but pretty much the entire body of workers and kids were glowing with smiles as well.”
This energy radiates from their mother, Magda. Her strength and love are unmistakable. Because of Eli’s shining character, he and Magda attended the WNBA All-Star Game, courtesy of Hoopbus & Puma.
Eli at the WNBA All-Star game.
He is the only kid in Hoopbus history to win the MVC (Most Valuable Character) award twice.
Show Up Anyway
Life is messy. Satisfaction isn’t guaranteed. So how do we show up like Eli does? Like Jason does?
After a week of focusing on girls’ youth in Indy, the Hoopbus rolled into Willard Park for the inauguration. Surrounded by bursts of pink, yellow, orange, and blue, kids took part in a youth basketball clinic on the newly painted court.
Music blasted. Basketballs echoed. Local Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham dropped in with a powerful message of tenacity and self-belief, igniting a spark in every kid who heard her speak.
Then came the finale: Indiana’s largest water fight.
The sun beat down on the court with a 5-gallon bucket full of water balloons set on each side. Teams took their mark (girls vs boys, of course) and a local girl, Charlotte, with her pigtails swinging, called out: “On your mark, get set, GO!”
Buckets emptied in minutes, but the fun didn’t stop. Kids scooped water from puddles, dumped water bottles on heads, and even scavenged for melted ice in buckets to keep the chaos going. Everyone was soaked. Everyone was smiling.
For a brief, magical moment, there were no worries. Kids were kids. Adults were too. And in that joy, the real impact of the Hoopbus could be felt: LOVE, left on the court in paint, in memories, in spirit.
Wherever the Hoopbus goes next, that same energy follows: showing up in the chaos, creating beauty in the mess, and reminding us all what community really means.
The water fight at Willard Park
Charlotte led the water balloon production effort off-site and won the Hoopbus MVC award.
Her mother told us she sleeps with the trophy every night.
Remarks from the team:
“For me, 100% the water balloon fight at Willard. That was kids completely unbound from the daily grind, the daily challenges and hurdles just to survive were pushed outside those little hearts and minds for that brief period. That was a perfect demonstration of kids (and many, many adults, cause I have the evidence!) letting it all go and just being completely in the moment without a concern in the world other than having fun. For those kids to be able to just run around and be reckless and careless with no concern about some kind of judgement or constraint, some form of reprimand for being loud or making a mess, man that was beautiful to watch. Made my whole year in just 30 or so minutes!”
“Working on the basketball court mural was one of the most unforgettable and humbling experiences of my life. From the moment I picked up a brush, I felt an overwhelming sense of honor and gratitude just to be trusted with bringing a creative vision to life on such a meaningful surface. This wasn’t just about painting, it was about creating a space where the community could come together, play, grow, and feel inspired. I poured my heart into every color, every line, knowing this mural would be something that people from all walks of life would see and connect with. I left that court feeling blessed beyond measure, not just for the opportunity to create, but for the community that embraced the art and made me feel like I truly belonged. This mural isn’t just paint on pavement, it’s a piece of my heart, a symbol of unity, and a reminder of how beautiful it is when people come together through creativity.”
“The moment that opened my eyes the most and made me feel so much love is when I seen all those happy innocent kids play on a court I helped design. It’s a lot of different kids around the city that don’t have what certain people have and the day of the event probably made them feel safe and so much love. They felt seen…and that’s all a kid ever wants is to be seen. Take it from me because I’ve been in that place so many times. It felt so good to see a community come together and no negative things happening because that’s what we see a lot here in Indy. This opportunity made me look at life so differently and I thank everyone for that. I feel like everyone involved in this became my family. The love is so so real and I’m so happy I got to experience so many amazing and genuine people. I’ll never ever forget any of this. Y’all forever have a place in my heart. This feels so good!!”