Busy day.
The release below confirms the HOF ceremony is Sunday at 12:30pm
Keep an eye on the Tumblr space on the main page’s orange column (or metspolice.tumblr.com if you are reading this via email or Google reader) – I will likely have some goodies galore starting around 5.
Meanwhile…
METS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND CITI TEAM UP WITH HABITAT-NYC TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOMES IN BROOKLYN
Darryl Strawberry and Mookie Wilson Kick Off Mets Hall of Fame Weekend Festivities by Joining Citi Volunteers at Brooklyn Build Affordable Housing Project in Bedford-Stuyvesant Reflects Mets and Citi’s Ongoing Commitment to Serve the Community
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 28, 2010 – The New York Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi, and Citi today announced that they have teamed up with Habitat for Humanity–New York City (Habitat–NYC) to build affordable housing in Brooklyn for New York City families. The project is part of the Mets and Citi’s “Teammates in the Community†initiative, reflecting their ongoing commitment to serve the community.
Darryl Strawberry and Mookie Wilson today kicked off Mets Hall of Fame Weekend festivities by helping over 20 Citi volunteers build Habitat–
NYC’s four-story affordable condominiums at 512 and 514 Lafayette Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Once completed in 2011, these homes will house eight families.
Strawberry, along with teammate Dwight Gooden, Manager Davey Johnson and General Manager Frank Cashen will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame this Sunday, August 1 during a special pre-game, on-field ceremony starting at 12:30 p.m. prior to the Mets-Diamondbacks game. This marks the second straight year the Mets and Citi have celebrated a milestone event in franchise history by working with Habitat-NYC to build affordable housing.
Members of the Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi later tonight will present Habitat-NYC volunteer Alex Liberatore with the “Teammates in the Community†award during a pre-game ceremony at Citi Field prior to the Mets hosting the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:10 p.m. Liberatore, a life-long Mets fan, will be honored for his exemplary commitment and dedication to serving and helping others during his five years as a volunteer with Habitat–NYC. He will be the seventh volunteer the Mets and Citi have honored with the award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to giving back to the community.
Led by Citi Community Development (CCD), Citi’s relationship with Habitat-NYC includes much more than funding. The New York State CCD team provides leadership and guidance to develop opportunities for expanding Habitat-NYC’s impact, and Citi employees are enthusiastic volunteers at Habitat-NYC builds. In partnership with Habitat-NYC, Citi has participated in more than 15 home-building events in New York, with an average of 15 volunteers per build. Most recently, work on multi-unit Habitat buildings has helped to produce a total of 30 units of affordable housing in Brooklyn and the South Bronx.
“As part of our continued commitment to New York City and Habitat for Humanity, we are excited to team-up with this all-star lineup and take part in this meaningful and impactful opportunity to provide affordable housing to families in need,” said Ana Duarte-McCarthy, Chief Diversity Officer, Citigroup. “This is another great example of how we are enriching our business and community programs through our relationship with the Mets.â€
“We’re proud to begin the celebration of our newest Mets Hall of Famers by going out into the community and helping others,” said Dave Howard, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, New York Mets. “We’re grateful to our partners at Citi and Habitat–NYC for the opportunity to lend a hand on this important project that will have a lasting impact on so many lives.â€
“We are proud to partner with Citi, the Mets and their Alumni as we work together to bring hardworking, low-income New York City families a home they can call their own,” said Josh Lockwood, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity–New York City. “This is truly an ’Amazin’ Build’ for the families who will finally achieve the American Dream.”
The Lafayette Avenue homes are part of an overall project in the area, started in 2009, to build four row houses, each four stories, with a mix of two– and three–bedroom condominiums, which will eventually house sixteen families when completed in early 2011. The other locations that are part of this plan are single buildings at 544 Lafayette Avenue and 118 Hart Street. Approximately 2,500 volunteers are expected to have worked on this project when finished.
Built to Energy Star standards and incorporating green materials and building techniques, these Habitat–NYC homes will help protect the health – and pocketbooks – of their future inhabitants.
Citi is a long-time supporter and partner of Habitat for Humanity. Since 2000, Citi and Habitat employees have built and helped create approximately 350 safe, affordable and energy-efficient homes across the United States for families in need.
Last year, the Mets and Citi partnered with Habitat-NYC on a two-day project that coincided with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Mets World Championship. Tom Seaver and other members of the “Miracle Mets†participated at Habitat builds in Brooklyn and at Citi Field to help create housing for more than 40 low-income families.
