Shiga Lakes Donate 65 Basketballs to Hikone City Schools Through SDGs Initiative

Shiga Lakes, in collaboration with corporate partners Heiwado and Takayama Construction, delivered 65 basketballs to Hikone City’s Board of Education on April 20, 2026, continuing their multi-year commitment to support youth sports development in Shiga Prefecture.

The donation, part of the “Lakes Basketball Donation Project,” was formally presented during a ceremony at Hikone City Hall attended by representatives from all three organizations. Heiwado contributed 31 basketballs whereas Takayama Construction provided 34, bringing the total to 65 balls designated for distribution to public elementary and middle schools across Hikone City.

According to the official press release from Hikone City dated April 16, 2026, the presentation ceremony took place at 3:00 p.m. Local time in the Education Superintendent’s office on the third floor of Hikone City Hall. Attendees included Heiwado Executive Officer and CS Promotion Department Head Hideo Ogura, Takayama Construction President Bunichi Takayama, Shiga Lakes Director Takayoshi Hino and Hikone City Education Superintendent Yoshitaka Nishijima along with other education board officials.

This latest contribution brings the cumulative total of basketballs donated through the project since its inception in March 2022 to 5,491 balls distributed to elementary, middle, and high schools throughout Shiga Prefecture. The initiative specifically targets SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) objectives by creating accessible opportunities for children to engage with basketball through equipment support.

The basketballs featured co-branding with both the Shiga Lakes and Heiwado logos for the 31 balls provided by the retail company, while Takayama Construction’s branded balls completed the shipment. All equipment was specified as age-appropriate, with separate sizes prepared for elementary and middle school students.

Shiga Lakes emphasized that the project remains active and continues to seek additional corporate partners interested in supporting youth basketball access in the region. The team invites interested organizations to contact them through their official inquiry form for potential collaboration on future donations.

The initiative reflects an ongoing effort by the professional basketball club to strengthen community ties while promoting physical activity among local youth. By focusing on equipment donation rather than event-based programs, the project aims to create sustainable, long-term access to basketball resources within school physical education curricula and extracurricular activities.

As of the April 20, 2026 donation, the Lakes Basketball Donation Project has now operated for over four years, establishing itself as one of the team’s most consistent community engagement programs. The partnership model—combining a professional sports franchise with local businesses to address specific educational needs—represents a localized approach to corporate social responsibility in Japanese sports.

Moving forward, Shiga Lakes stated its intention to continue expanding the project’s reach through sustained collaboration with prefecture-based companies, with the ultimate goal of ensuring every interested student in Shiga has access to a basketball for school-based activities.

The next scheduled action for the project involves monitoring the distribution of the 65 basketballs to individual schools within Hikone City through the city’s education committee, with no further donation events publicly announced at this time.

For updates on Shiga Lakes’ community initiatives and partnership opportunities, readers are encouraged to visit the team’s official communications channels.