Results tagged ‘ Harlem RBI ’
Teixeira Yanks’ nominee for Clemente Award
Mark Teixeira was named the Yankees’ 2012 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Tuesday marked the 11th annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy and to recognize local club nominees of the Clemente Award.
Teixeira is one of the 30 club finalists for the annual award, which recognizes a major-league player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.
The Clemente Award pays tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character by recognizing current players who understand the value of helping others. The award is named for the 15-time All-Star and Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
An avid philanthropist, Teixeira has been involved in charitable endeavors throughout his big-league career. In 2006, Mark and his wife, Leigh, established the Mark Teixeira Charitable Fund, an initiative that awarded several scholarships to students from multiple high schools in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Three years later, he served as a spokesman for the National Foundation for Cancer Research through the organization’s “Help Strike Out Sun Damage” program.
Tex has been a strong supporter of Harlem RBI, a nonprofit organization in East Harlem that provides more than 1,200 boys and girls, ages 5-22, with year-round academic, sports and enrichment programs. In 2011, he made a $1 million donation to Harlem RBI and has been calling on fans to help raise additional funds through his Dream Team 25 campaign.
The fundraising campaign is helping the organization build a 45-seat public charter school facility, a new community center, 87 units of low-income housing and a rebuilt public park in the Harlem community. All are designed to serve as a model for urban development.
In addition, Teixeira, who is co-chair of the organization’s $20-million Capital Campaign and chair of the organization’s Home Run Leadership Council, works with MLB to connect with RBI programs nationally through in-stadium appearance with fellow players and supports local RBI programs around the country.
Other Yankees players who have won the award were Ron Guidry in 1984, Don Baylor in 1985 and Derek Jeter in 2009. Also included among former winners were current YES broadcasters Ken Singleton with the Orioles in 1982 and Al Leiter with the Mets in 2000. Former Yankees players who won the award while with another team along with Leiter were Phil Niekro in 1980 with the Braves and Dave Winfield in 1994 with the Twins.
Yankees fans are encouraged to participate in the process of selecting the national award recipient by visiting MLB.com/ClementeAward to vote for Teixeira. Participating fans will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2012 World Series, where the national winner of the Clemente Award will be announced. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14. The winner of the fan poll will receive one vote among those cast by a selection panel.
Harlem RBI donors to be feted at Stadium
Nine lucky donors personally picked by Mark Teixeira will spend Thursday at Yankee Stadium in recognition for their support of Harlem RBI and DREAM Charter School. The group will take part in a ceremony before the 1:10 p.m. game between the Yankees and the Rangers, receive an exclusive tour of the Stadium and end the day by having dinner with the first baseman at the Delta Sky360 Lounge
In 2011, Teixeira made a $1-million donation to East Harlem nonprofit organization Harlem RBI, and he has been calling on his fans to help raise additional funds through his Dream Team 25 campaign. For the second year, nine donors who shared Teixiera’s passion for service, baseball and community were personally chosen by him, based on a written submission to the http://www.dreamteam25.org website.
The group will enjoy unique access to Teixeira and the Stadium throughout the day, made possible by partnerships formed with various corporations. Delta Air Lines is flying in out-of-state All-Stars into New York City. Goldman Sachs will provide luxury suite box game tickets for the day.
The fundraising campaign is helping the organization build a state-of-the-art facility for the children that Harlem RBI and its partner DREAM Charter School serve each year. The ground-breaking project will include a 450-seat public charter school facility, a new community center, 87 units of low-income housing and a rebuilt public park, and will serve as a model of urban development in one of New York City’s toughest neighborhoods.
Teixeira and Harlem RBI entered into a strategic partnership in May 2010 when the two-time All-Star and 2009 World Series champion became a member of Harlem RBI’s board of directors. He served as the honoree with Howard Lutnick from Cantor Fitzgerald/BGC Partners at Harlem RBI’s annual Bids for Kids Gala at Cipriani in June 2011.
In addition, as co-chair of Harlem RBI’s $20-million Capital Campaign, Teixeira is chair of the
organization’s Home Run Leadership Council. Teixeira assists Harlem RBI by participating in various events to support the organization, including activities with Harlem RBI youth. He works with Major League Baseball to connect with programs nationally through stadium appearances with fellow MLB players and seek to support local RBI programs around the country.
Harlem RBI, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization began in 1991 when a group of volunteers transformed an abandoned, garbage-strewn lot into two baseball diamonds for the youth of East Harlem. Since then, Harlem RBI has grown to serve more than 1,200 boys and girls, ages 5-22, with year-round academic, sports and enrichment programs.
‘Tex’ donates $1 million to East Harlem project
Harlem RBI, of which Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is co-chairman of its Capital Campaign, will raise $20 million in individual, corporate and foundation donations for a major project in East Harlem that was announced Monday. Teixeira has already personally contributed $1 million.
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City Housing Authority Chairman John Rhea, Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Matthew M. Wambua announced a partnership to develop a landmark, mixed-use facility in East Harlem that will include approximately 90 new affordable housing units, the DREAM Charter School and Harlem RBI’s program and office space.
Scheduled to open for the 2014-2015 school year, the new school space will accommodate up to 450 students between kindergarten and eighth grade. The announcement took place on Harlem RBI’s Field of Dreams in East Harlem, where the Mayor was also joined by council member Melissa Mark-Viverito, parents and students from DREAM Charter School and Harlem RBI program participants and alumni.
“This building will be a place where New York families can afford to live, children can get a first-rate education, and a fantastic non-profit can expand its services,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “East Harlem will experience the benefits of this development immediately, but the greater impact on our city as a whole will come in the future – when this school produces successful alumni who lead us to a better and brighter future. This partnership between the city, a non-profit, and generous donors is a great example of public-private collaboration making things happen.”
The building will be located on East 104th Street between Second and Third Avenues, on site at the Washington Houses. As currently planned, the $85 million, 13-story, 150,000-square-foot building is expected to break ground in the summer of 2012 and open in the summer of 2014.
Harlem RBI began in 1991 when a group of volunteers transformed an abandoned, garbage-strewn lot into two baseball diamonds for the youth of East Harlem. Since then, Harlem RBI has grown to serve more than 1,000 boys and girls, ages 5 to 21, with year-round academic, sports and enrichment programs. Harlem RBI’s comprehensive approach to youth development replaces the barriers inner-city youth typically face with concrete opportunities to build skills and confidence needed to graduate high school, matriculate to college and break the cycle of poverty. Since 2005, 98 percent of Harlem RBI seniors have graduated high school, 94 percent of seniors have been accepted into college and 99 percent of participants have avoided teen parenthood.
“This project is representative of the public-private partnerships that are essential to transforming education and communities,” Schools Chancellor Walcott said. “The building of Harlem RBI’s new home and DREAM Charter School is an example of how New York City is committed to investing in public housing neighborhoods. Working with partners like Harlem RBI, New York City will create another state-of-the-art school building and expand the opportunities available for the community it serves.”
“I became involved with Harlem RBI and DREAM Charter because I believe the work we are doing is truly changing lives,” Teixeira said. “It is my hope that my involvement can help shine even more light on this incredible organization and these extraordinary kids.”
“I am proud to witness the joint efforts of Mayor Bloomberg, Chancellor Walcott, Chairman Rhea, Harlem RBI and the generosity of Mark Teixeira that have led to this investment into our community,” U.S. Congressman Charles B. Rangel said. “We have an obligation to provide an environment where parents can let their children grow up in a place they can call home, without fear for their safety or want of quality education.”
Assemblyman Robert J. Rodriguez said, “Mark Teixeira’s donation is a well-deserved investment in Harlem RBI, and the education of more than 1,000 young people, as well as the future sustainability and affordability of housing in East Harlem. “The investment represents a model investment in the future of the East Harlem community.”
Funding for construction of the school is being made possible in part by a $32.5 million grant from the New York City Department of Education’s Charter Facilities Matching Grant Program. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Housing Development Corporation will contribute nearly $30 million toward the residential portion, which is expected to close in 2012.
Tex launches Dream Team campaign
Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who became a member of Harlem RBI’s Board of Directors last year, has extended his commitment to the organization by donating $1 million as part of a fundraising campaign to build a state-of-the-art facility for students in East Harlem.
At a press conference Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, Teixeira called on Yankees fans to help raise additional funds through his Dream Team campaign. Nine lucky supporters will have unique access to Teixeira, joining him for lunch and a tour of the Stadium, getting an on-field look at batting practice and receiving suite tickets to the Yankees game that night.
Interested fans may visit http://www.dreamteam25.org to join Tex’s Dream Team or text “RBI” to 50555 to make a $10 donation to the campaign. He will personally document the campaign’s progress on his new social media sites – a Facebook fanpage http://www.facebook.com/teixeiramark25 and his Twitter account, @teixeramark25.
RBI stands for Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, a Major League Baseball youth initiative designed to provide opportunities to play baseball and softball, encourage academic success and teach the value of teamwork to under-served youth aged 5 to 18 from urban communities.
“I have seen firsthand how Harlem RBI and Dream Charter School are making dreams real for East Harlem kids,” Teixeira said. “I’m calling on my fans to help build a home and resource for this vibrant community. When fans donate to my Dream Team, they will also have the opportunity to spend part of the day with me at Yankee Stadium.”
The groundbreaking project in East Harlem will include a 450-seat public charter school facility, a community center, 87 units of low-income housing and a rebuilt public park as a model of urban development in one of New York City’s most depressed neighborhoods.
Harlem RBI, an academic and baseball/softball program which focuses youth on gaining college acceptance, opened a Dream Charter School in 2008. Teixeira joined the organization’s board of directors last year and has participated in workshops and other programs. As honorary chair of Harlem RBI’s $20-million capital campaign, Teixeira assists the organization by taking part in various events and works with Major League Baseball to connect with RBI programs nationally through in-stadium appearances with fellow players.
Jack O'Connell
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