Newsbrief | March 2009

A new recreational facility planned for the area could provide an official home for the Jesse White Tumbling Team, the young acrobats who make more than 1,000 appearances annually.

Chicago Park District commissioners recently authorized negotiations to acquire about 1.2 acres and develop a 25,000-square-foot recreation center at 2420 W. Adams St. in cooperation with the Jesse White Foundation, which funds the tumblers. The center would offer “a diverse array of athletic, leisure, and learning activities to the public,” park officials said.

The land currently is owned by the Chicago Housing Authority and Chicago Board of Education. The foundation pledged $10 million toward the preliminary $15 million development budget. The Park District would contribute $5 million toward the center.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White founded the tumbling team in 1959 as a way to involve children in the Cabrini-Green housing project in a positive activity. It quickly grew to include children in
the Henry Horner Homes, and now has members from across the Chicago area.

Jesse White Tumblers must stay in school, maintain a C average, and stay away from gangs and drugs. More than 10,000 boys and girls have participated over the years. They currently practice at the Moody Bible Institute, 820 N. LaSalle Blvd., and Ada Park, 11250 S. Ada St.

— Susan S. Stevens