Dartmouth, Massachusetts: Outdoor Movie Night Fostered Community

On a Friday in July, my family and I, as well as many other residents and teens, experienced the ultimate family event: a drive-in movie in Dartmouth.

Yes, a drive-in movie.

For some of us, it was a return to childhood memories, and for others, it served as a memorable new experience. And it all took place within the Field of Dreams-like complex of the Burgo Basketball Association.

The drive-in movie night was yet another result of Steve Burgo’s vision and recurring commitment to provide a positive and purposeful destination and activity for SouthCoast youth.

With “Bee Movie” encompassing an inflatable Jumbotron-sized screen, blankets and beach chairs serving as the theatre, and popcorn, cotton candy and refreshments providing all the traditions of simpler times, Steve Burgo successfully converted his multiplex of basketball courts into a larger-than-life movie stage.

At $20 per car load and with video and sound quality surpassing that of any local indoor cinema, the night was complete with laughter, pick-up basketball games and a genuine sense of community that reminded us all what Dartmouth pride once was all about.

For those who have not experienced the complex — actually the community — that Steve and Donna Burgo as well as tireless volunteers have created, stop by for a summer league basketball game, refine your once can’t-miss jump shot or lend your support to continuing to build upon the Burgos’ dream.

Better yet, join them for their next drive-in movie night and experience something meaningful and memorable with your family.

George Sine-Dartmouth

New Burgo complex building on a dream

Photos by ANDREW T. GALLAGHER/Standard-Times special Expanding on what started as the Burgo Basketball Association in Steve Burgo’s Dartmouth backyard, the Dartmouth Joseph Burgo Southeastern Regional Basketball Complex continues to develop off Slocum Road. It will play host to this weekend’s annual Kyle M. Roy Memorial Scholarship Tournament.

By Buddy Thomas

Standard-Times senior sports writer

May 14, 2007 6:00 AM

MORE ON BURGO BASKETBALL

Registration for summer leagues is underway. For more information, visit the complex Web site at bbabasketball.com or call Steve Burgo at (508) 993-7945.

The journey has been anything but smooth sailing, but the final destination is appearing on the horizon. Steve Burgo's only goal is to stay on course.

"It's been a long time getting there," said Burgo, whose dream of a regional basketball complex is some seven years in the making. "But we can finally feel it all coming together."

Burgo formed the Burgo Basketball Association in the late 1990s, with 80 players afforded the opportunity to play in a 10-team league. Supervised games were played on a newly constructed court that sat in the middle of Burgo's backyard. That Dartmouth yard became the proving ground for SouthCoast youth intent on honing their basketball skills but, more importantly, it gave them a chance to grow together.

"We need to reach more kids and let them know they're all the same," Burgo said.

But reaching more kids meant less playing time on the Burgo home court. That's when the latter expanded his dream.

"The interest was obviously there," he said, "but to accomodate these kids, we needed to expand our facilities."

Sitting down with a handful of people who shared his dream, Burgo devised a plan he shared with the Dartmouth Selectmen and Planning Board in March 2000. Burgo was seeking permission to build on the 12-acre McBratney parcel off Slocum Road. The recently donated site, in Burgo's mind, was a perfect location.

He brought a three-foot scale model illustrating the proposed layout, letters of support from within the community and promises of support from beyond Dartmouth's borders. The proposal worked, with Burgo first awarded the land, then gaining promises of help from the Army Corps of Engineers for the massive construction ahead.

But when the events of 9/11 unfolded, those promises were suddenly withdrawn.

"Basically, we were forced to beg," Burgo said.

It wasn't easy. But with the help of people like Mike Silva, Joe Medeiros, Billy Cardoza and others — people who shared Burgo's dream — construction began in earnest shortly after.

"Those people donated their time and helped clear the area pretty much on a daily basis," Burgo said. "As soon as we got the land, I knew what I wanted and thanks to those guys and others like them, it's all starting to take shape."

Re-named the Dartmouth Joseph Burgo Southeastern Regional Basketball Complex after his father, Steve Burgo's project appears within months of completion. All five outside basketball courts are expected to be done in time to host the annual Kyle M. Roy Memorial Scholarship Tournament, which starts Friday and runs for three days. The two nearby tennis courts are nearly done as well.

When finished, the complex will house the basketball and tennis courts, plus a sand volleyball court, walking track and a children's playground area. An outdoor roller-hockey rink is also a probability, with Burgo's plans still calling for the construction of 3-4 indoor basketball courts, a weight training center and computer room.

"Our goal is reach as many young people as we possibly can," he said. "It's important to stress that this will be a regional facility open to youngsters throughout the area. My question has always been: How are you going to be able to reach kids of different backgrounds without letting them play together? This facility will not only let people of different cultures and backgrounds play together, it will give them the opportunity to hang out and study together as well."

Burgo also emphasized the purpose of the complex is not to attract the elite basketball player.

"On the contrary," he said. "This (complex) is open to anyone who wants to play or learn how to play, starting from the age of eight. We want to have a summer league where kids of all ages and skills will have fun and enjoy each other."

Burgo's focus is on the horizon.

"Thanks to a lot of dedicated people who believe in this venture as strongly as I do, the dream is close to becoming reality," he said. "I've been blessed with great people who are willing to stand by my side and make this thing happen. People like Tommy Goodine and Chuck Lally, just to name a couple. They've gone out and helped sell this idea to area businesses and individuals who have responded in a variety of ways. Without those guys and the tremendous effort and support from my wife, I don't know if this project would have even gotten off the drawing board."

For now, everything is upbeat. Grants, individual donations and the dedication of plenty have kept things moving, with one of the most defining characteristics of the organization the passion they show.

Burgo spoke of Steve Gaspar, the boys basketball coach at Dartmouth High, who's done tremendous work for the youth of the community and recently joined as a board member.

"We all care about these young people and want to do whatever we can to create a positive influence on them," Burgo said.

Contact Buddy Thomas at bthomas@s-t.com

ANDREW T. GALLAGHER/Standard-Times Special Steve Burgo, founder of the Burgo Baseketball Association, B.B.A,

Steve Burgo's dream focuses on the youth of Greater New Bedford.

"They need to know they're all the same," he said while explaining the dream that was interrupted by a nightmare 16 months ago. On Nov. 5, 2006, Kyle Roy, a 22-year old senior at UMass Dartmouth was fatally injured in an automobile accident. He was also the boyfriend of Burgo's stepdaughter, Amber, at the time.

Steve Burgo remembered Kyle from the latter's days at Dartmouth High School where he was a standout in soccer and basketball. It was his presence on and off the basketball court that, in Burgo's mind, made Kyle so special. "Just the way he handled himself made me proud to know him. He was a terrific young man," Burgo said.

Molding terrific young men like Kyle has been part of Burgo's dream — a dream that began in the mid-1990s.

As a youth growing up in the 1960s and 70s, Steve Burgo was a basketball junkie who spent much of his free time playing on the courts at Buttonwood Park.

"I played four years of high school basketball at Dartmouth, and the Buttonwood Park League was a great place to improve your game in the offseason. Everybody who was serious about the game of basketball wanted to play in the summer league," Burgo said.

And, back then, everybody seemed to get along.

That wasn't the case years later when Steve tried to re-live his youth through the basketball experiences of his youngest son, Lance. But, unlike his dad, Lance was reluctant to talk about his summer nights in the asphalt jungle. "It was like pulling teeth trying to get something out of him," Steve recalled. And when Lance did speak, he talked about the game that was interrupted by a drug deal or the time teenagers with baseball bats came looking for someone Lance never even knew.

The stories were different, but the message was always the same.

"Lance, his friends and other kids who just wanted to play basketball couldn't find a safe place to play," Burgo said.

After hearing more than his share of horror stories, Steve Burgo responded the only way he knew how. He built a basketball court in the safety zone of his own backyard. Within months, the Burgo Basketball Association was formed, featuring some 80 players competing in a 10-team league.

The man who had been involved in sports all of his life without ever having to worry about where he was going to play had made it possible for a younger generation of basketball players to share his experience. A decade later, the sharing continues through an expanded complex off Slocum Road in North Dartmouth — one that will eventually include five basketball courts, two sand volleyball pits, two tennis courts, a walking track and playground for outside activities along with a series of indoor basketball courts, weight and recreation rooms.

"We need to reach more kids, and this is my way of trying to do that," Burgo said. "I'm not just talking about kids from Dartmouth, I'm also talking about kids from New Bedford and surrounding towns like Fairhaven, Acushnet, Mattapoisett, Lakeville, etc. They need to know they're all the same."

The Burgo Basketball Association's summer programs begin in late May and early June with competition — both male and female — scheduled for five divisions, ranging in ages from 8 and 9 to 17 and older. Registration information is available online at www.bbabasketball.com.

The second annual Kyle M. Roy Scholarship Tournament will tap off the activity with three days of competition on May 18, 19 and 20.

"Losing someone like Kyle at such a tender age is a tragedy and so many people have been affected by his death," Burgo said. "He's someone we'll never forget, and I wanted to do something to keep his memory alive. My first thought was to play a basketball tournament in his name and create two scholarships in his name that would be presented annually to a male or female soccer and basketball player at Dartmouth High School. I called Kyle's father for permission and he was fully supportive."

Last year the tournament raised enough money to produce two $1,000 scholarships. This year the goal is to raise enough money for a pair of $2,000 scholarships.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and forms are available online at www.bbabasketball.com or by calling Burgo at 508-993-7945. Entry fee is $250 per team with a 10-player maximum. Competition (male and female) will be held in six divisions (ages 8 and 9, grades 5 and 6, grades 7 and 8, high school freshman and junior varsity, high school varsity and college/open. Each bracket will accommodate eight teams, and completed registration forms and payment must be received no later than May 1.

Buddy Thomas' column appears on Thursday in The Standard-Times.

Steve Burgo named latest "Hometown Hero"

HOMETOWN HERO: For his continuing efforts to give local youngsters a safe environment for recreation through the Burgo Basketball League at the Southeastern Regional Basketball Complex, Steve Burgo was recently named the 150th Hometown Hero recognized by BankFive and WSAR. PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA STYAN/The Chronicle

July 30, 2008 12:30 PM

DARTMOUTH — Bank Five and WSAR have named Steven M. Burgo of Dartmouth as their latest Hometown Hero. Burgo was recognized for being a true champion for hundreds of SouthCoast youth by establishing the Burgo Basketball League to help keep kids on the basketball court and out of trouble.

Thomas F. Lyons, BankFive president and CEO, presented Burgo with the Hometown Hero Award at a special ceremony last week, just prior to a scheduled league game at the Southeastern Regional Basketball Complex off Slocum Road.

"Steve is a motivated and caring individual," said Mr. Lyons. "His dream became a reality, and it has truly flourished. Today, because of Steve's unending drive and determination, this basketball complex stands as a safe haven for area youth. It is a privilege to recognize Steve as our Hometown Hero."

The Burgo Basketball League was started in the backyard of Burgo's South Dartmouth home in 1994 after a frightening incident was experienced by his son and friends at an out-of-town basketball court. Burgo vowed after that incident that local youngsters would have their own courts to play on.

With the support of his wife Donna, Burgo used his own money to construct a full-sized basketball court, complete with lights, in his backyard. Initially, there were 20 youngsters involved in the summer games, but the number of players in the league grew to 125 within 12 years, more than a single backyard court could accommodate.

Given the success of the league, it was time to expand. Finding a 12-acre parcel of land owned by the Town of Dartmouth, Burgo coordinated the negotiation of a lease of the property, and with a crew of volunteers, went to work soliciting donations, holding golf tournaments, and staging other fundraising events.

Thanks to donations from the community, and generous in-kind donations of materials and services from area businesses, the first outdoor courts were constructed. Today, the Joseph M. Burgo Basketball Complex, named after Burgo's dad, stands as a safe haven for local ballplayers.

In 2007, more than 900 boys and girls from Dartmouth and other South Coast communities, and Rhode Island played on 27 NCAA sanctioned teams in the league.

Through Burgo's leadership and vision, and that of his board of directors, the complex has an exciting future. Plans call for a building that will accommodate four regulation size courts, a weight room, and a concession stand. There are also plans for two sand volleyball courts, two tennis courts, a public walking track, and a playground.

In addition to his involvement with the basketball league, Burgo has also spent 24 years as a CYO Basketball coach. The parent of six children, and a grandfather to another, he suggests that if you treat kids with respect, they in turn will treat you with respect.

"I am honored and humbled to receive the Hometown Hero Award," Mr. Burgo said. "This award really doesn't belong to me. It belongs to my family, and all those individuals and businesses who believed in making my dream a reality by donating money, in-kind services, and their precious time. With their help, "The Complex" is making a difference in the lives of area youth."

For additional information regarding the Burgo Basketball League, call Steve or Donna Burgo at (508) 993-7945 or (508) 951-3796, or visit www.bbabasketball.com.

The Hometown Hero Award was established in 1993 by BankFive in cooperation with WSAR to recognize individuals in the community for heroic deeds, acts of kindness, and exceptional volunteer efforts. Mr. Burgo is the 150th Hometown Hero to be so honored for his efforts.

 

DARTMOUTH: Father found passion for kids, hoop dreams

Dartmouth's Steve Burgo built basketball courts in an effort to keep kids safe.ANDREW T. GALLAGHER/Standard-Times special

By Curt Brown

Standard-Times staff writer

December 27, 2005 6:00 AM

DARTMOUTH -- Basketball is Steve Burgo's passion. Keeping kids focused on life is his mission.

For the past 11 years, about 120 teenagers from across SouthCoast have been drawn each summer to Mr. Burgo's basketball court in his backyard on Bakerville Road to play ball.

Under lights and far removed from today's urban violence, the 54-year-old former Sears manager and local basketball star has provided teens with a safe place on hot summer nights to play basketball.

The only requirements are a love of the game, a pair of sneakers and a willingness to follow his rules about proper conduct.

For his unswerving devotion to SouthCoast youth, Mr. Burgo has been selected as The Standard-Times' 2005 Man of the Year for Dartmouth.

Nominations for the award came from the community and members of the newspaper staff. Recipients were selected by a newsroom committee.

"It's all about the kids," he said. "It's about basketball, but it's a life experience. It's an education."

His efforts have earned him universal admiration in the community.

"...Mr. Burgo has been a teacher, mentor, and a positive influence on the youth of this area," said Charles Lally of Dartmouth, one of the people who nominated Mr. Burgo for The Standard-Times' award. "He has been responsible for guiding many unsure boys and girls to stay in school, be respectful to others, and literally turn their lives around."

"He goes above and beyond for the tireless advancement of kids," said Dr. Steve Russell, superintendent of schools in Dartmouth. "If there's a way to get it done, Steve will do it."

Michael J. Gagne, the town's executive administrator, said Mr. Burgo possesses "a dogged determination" to see something through to the end and refuses to accept no for an answer.

Next year the Burgo Basketball Association is expected to reach new heights when it moves from his backyard to its new facility off Slocum Road, where he will accommodate a total of 1,200 players, ranging in age from 8 to adult.

Some of his dreams of a multi-sports complex will be realized next spring when three of the basketball courts will be ready.

His goal is to eventually have five outdoor basketball courts, three indoor courts, two tennis courts, two sand volleyball courts, a playground and a walking track on the 12-acre site that is being leased from the town for $1 a year.

But Mr. Burgo, who has been building the facility from donations, has been slowed by a never-ending series of pitfalls.

He explained that donations haven't been as forthcoming as he thought and some instrumental volunteers have passed away.

"It has been tough. It's like pulling teeth from a lion who is eating a steak," he said. "We've had so many obstacles. People have said to me, 'Why don't you give up?' I thought this would be an easy proposition."

Although nowhere near finished, the complex already represents $1.5 million between donations and in-kind services.

Mr. Burgo said the idea for the league and the complex stem from a violent incident in 1994 when one of his sons and friends were confronted by a group of kids carrying machetes while playing basketball in the city's South End.

It was eye-opener about the world for Mr. Burgo, who had always felt safe playing basketball as a teen and a young man in the 1970s on the courts of Buttonwood Park, New Bedford.

"It's not safe. It really isn't," Mr. Burgo said. "It's a scary world."

Worried about his son's safety, he constructed a basketball court behind his house within two weeks.

Then, sometime later while watching between 30 to 40 teens shoot hoops on the newly constructed court, his father predicted his future.

"You're starting a league," Steve Burgo recalled his father, Joseph Burgo, as saying.

"That's how it all started," Steve Burgo said.

Joseph Burgo graduated from the Berklee College of Music and he and Steve Burgo played together in the Whaler Drum Corp.

Joseph Burgo passed away in 1998, but his influence lives on.

Steve has named a court at the complex after his dad.

"I do it for my father," Steve said.

"My father was always involved with kids, and that's where I get my love for kids from."