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Ticket program announced for arena events, managed by Daughtry's DBNA; will be aimed at organizations in CBs 2, 3, 6, & 8

Community organizations--well, some of them, limited to four community districts near the Barclays Center--will be eligible for 50+ free tickets for various arena events, not just--as first believed--Nets games, via a sweepstakes.

It's unclear which events, but presumably there will be more available for college basketball, gospel, and games against bottom-dwellers than Nets vs. Knicks.

The organization in charge is the Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (DBNA), led by the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, and, as far as I can tell, essentially a subgroup of his church.

(The DBNA officers are apparently church members; though they're not listed on the web site, they are listed on IRS filings. According to the most recent Form 990, from the year 2010, the DBNA had received more than $700,000 in support over the previous five years. The donor is not specified, but the lion's share, if not all, almost surely comes from Forest City Ratner.)

Not only will the DBNA manage the ticket giveaway, Daughtry has long championed a chapel-like meditation room, 150 square feet.

His organization also will be in charge of "a Project Gallery for documenting and celebrating the creation of the CBA [Community Benefits Agreement]," which will be an interesting challenge, because all of the CBA signatories accept money from the developer, not a best practice in CBA circles, and several are silent to the point of moribund.

The press release

The press release, Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance Announces Community Tickets Program for Events at Barclays Center, via Brooklyn News Corp:
The Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (DBNA) announced details Wednesday of its Community Tickets Program at Barclays Center. The program, a vehicle for members of the Brooklyn community who might not otherwise have the funds or opportunity to attend an event at Barclays Center, will provide complimentary tickets via a sweepstakes system for various events held at Barclays Center. A variety of nonprofit organizations serving residents of Community Boards 2, 3, 6, and 8 are eligible for the sweepstakes, which will include up to 50 Upper Bowl Tickets, four Lower Bowl Tickets, and seating in a suite.
“Barclays Center is going to positively impact this community in so many ways,” said Bruce Ratner, Chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC). “We are excited to be partnering with DBNA, a signatory of the Atlantic Yards Community Benefits Agreement, in launching this Community Tickets Program, which will provide nonprofit organizations, seniors, churches and youth groups with access to Barclays Center to enjoy sports and entertainment.”
Organizations eligible for the sweepstakes include nonprofits such as community-based organizations, schools (public or charter), educational organizations, and religious organizations. As part of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), FCRC will provide the complimentary tickets for the various events at Barclays Center.
“Our Tickets Program allows us, as a Community Benefits Agreement partner, to prioritize specialized groups to share in the wealth of opportunities and experiences that the new arena will bring,” said Rev. Dr. Herbert Daughtry, pastor of The House of the Lord Church and founder of the Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance.
DBNA will post the sweepstakes application process, along with the application, on its Web site, www.thedbna.org.
Information on the tickets program is at this link. I've taken the two documents linked and posted them below.

The tickets program

In the application, organizations must describe their location, mission, and nonprofit status. Eligible organizations include community-based and not-for-profit organizations; schools (public or charter); educational organizations, and religious organizations within the abovementioned Community Board Districts.

Organizations will be randomly chosen in a Sweepstakes at the beginning of each month for the following month of games/events (i.e. drawings for games/events in December are conducted at the beginning of November).

The document says that "the seating in the Suite is subjected to additional rules and requirements," though those are not specified.

There's a bit of a divergence with the CBA. According to the CBA section related to tickets, below, the "community" is not defined by Community Board. Some supporters of Atlantic Yards from more distant precincts may be crying foul. Also, if indeed those four community boards were the most crucial to the project, you'd think more organizations from within those districts would have been part of the CBA. But Forest City only wanted project supporters.

For now, at least, there's no clear priority for seniors.

More on the DBNA

According to the press release:
DBNA is working to enhance life for residents near the Atlantic Yards Project. It seeks to create a vibrant community for those of all ages and income levels through: the establishment of a comprehensive community health and wellness center; early childhood, youth and senior citizens centers linked through an intergenerational initiative; and a Project Gallery for documenting and celebrating the creation of the CBA, as well as Brooklyn’s rich history. DBNA’s Community Foundation also provides outreach assistance to nonprofit organizations, including prison populations.
DBNA Barclays Center Letter re Tickets
DBNA Barclays Center Application re Tickets DBNA Form 990 2010

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