Thursday local kids and city of Huntsville officials gathered to accept a $35,000 check from Coca-Cola Company's 2011Sprite Spark Park Project. It's because of those funds that they've been able to construct a new basketball court at Kate Barr Ross.

Kids from the Huntsville YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club broke in the new basketball court at Kate Bar Ross park the only way they knew how; playing basketball.

The 2011Sprite Spark Park Project grant will be utilized by the City during the next year in an effort to refurbish and creatively refresh Kate Barr Ross Park.

In addition to construction of the new court, the winner of a special art contest will add a creative "spark" to the court.

"We held a special art competition to find a local artist to add a creative 'spark' to the basketball court in the form of a large-scale mural at center court," McKibben said. "A panel of City employees picked three top winners without knowing the artists' names.

"The winner of the contest, 21-year-old Huntsville resident Eloy Samaniego, will recreate his design on center court, giving it a one-of-a-kind 'spark' that all of our citizens can be proud of."

Only 21 communities in the nation received funding from the campaign, and the City of Huntsville won funding which was allocated for the Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana region.

"We are very grateful to Sprite and the Coca-Cola Company for this grant and to our citizens for their active participation in the grant application process," Mayor Mac Woodward said. "These improvements are much needed and will revitalize a park used by countless local children."