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For Immediate Release
:Kathryn Soman (718) 491-7493
: Marketing Department (888) 809-8009
New York, NY -
June 28, 2004 —
Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle....New York has always been a big baseball city. People pay top dollar to pack Yankee and Shea stadium. Often times, children with great appreciation and love for the game are excluded. Many children throughout the city with big-league dreams of their own, who can't afford a ticket and aren't good enough for the little league, have another option - to play for Health Plus's Youth League.
Once again, the baseball season has officially begun for children throughout the city, as the opening game for the 2004 Health Plus Citywide Youth Baseball League kicked off another heartening season this past Saturday.
The game marked the beginning of a spirited season that will conclude with the championship game for the Roberto Clemente Cup, named in honor of the great athlete and humanitarian. Ex-Montreal Expo Bart Hernandez threw the first ball to KTU on-air personality "Speedy". Also in attendance was Texas Ranger sports therapist Ray Negron.
Sponsored by Health Plus, the Police Athletic League, and the City of New York's Parks & Recreation Department, the league is a free program for boys and girls ages 5 to 12 and boys only ages 13-15. Over 1,800 young athletes are participating on 95 teams in 10 parks throughout the city. The league runs through the end of August.
"This isn't a super-completive league that intimidates the children," says Health Plus League Organizer Luis Ramos. "Don't get me wrong the kids are good, but Health Plus is proud to present a fun, healthy league, which encourages them and promotes self-esteem."
The league also celebrated their opening at the famous Keyspan Park, home of the Mets minor league team the Brooklyn Cyclones. Twenty children attended the special breakfast at the stadium sponsored by Health Plus. The lucky children, many who dream of going pro some day, posed for pictures and even got the opportunity to meet Cyclone Manager, Tony Tijerina. None of the children however were confident enough to submit their résumé just yet.
Brooklyn-raised Ray Negron, sports therapist for the Texas Rangers, signs autographs for children as “Speedy” looks on.
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Manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones Tony Tijerina, Luis Vasquez, and Health Plus League Organizer Luis Ramos, stand behind several children who play in the 2004 Health Plus Citywide Youth Baseball League at Keyspan Park.
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Health Plus, a not-for-profit, multi-cultural organization, is one of the fastest growing managed care organizations in New York City. It was established in 1984 with a commitment to provide coordinated quality health care and improving access to health care for uninsured and underserved families. In its annual review of managed care plans, the New York State Department of Health ranked Health Plus as the top plan for quality in its 2002 and 2003 "Consumer's Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in New York City." Health Plus is New York City's leading provider of Child Health Plus, a New York State Department of Health program that offers parents FREE or low-cost health insurance for children under the age of 19. "CRAIN'S New York Business" magazine ranked Health Plus fifth among the largest health maintenance organizations in the New York area.
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