Charlotte church dedicates ‘Dave’s Corner’ basketball court to honor member’s legacy
Dave’s name will forever stand in front of this court, and the message he stood for will always be at its center.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Not long after Dave Olney’s tragic death in an August 2022 car crash, his church family at Christ United Methodist Church knew something had to be done to honor his memory.
Deciding how to do so took even less time.
“He was a people person,” Olney’s wife Julie said. “Coaching, mentoring, talking to people is what he loved doing. And he loved sports.”
So the church decided to break ground on a public-use basketball court for the entire community to use in his honor.
Wednesday night, the ribbon was officially cut on “Dave’s Corner,” giving the entire neighborhood a safe place to come join together in sports and fellowship.
“It’s the community coming together and knowing there’s a place here where somebody can come and be connected with another person,” Rev. Susan Heafner-Heun said. “We don’t have many places like that in the world.”
“Dave’s Corner” is for open court basketball in the community, as well as organized pickle ball sessions. More information can be found at Christ United Methodist Church’s website.
Dave’s name will forever stand in front of this court, and the message he stood for will always be at its center.
“He would have been out here as much as he could,” Julie Olney said. “Just playing with them, coaching them, talking to them, and just sharing life with anybody he could.”
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