NEW YORK (PIX11) — As part of his New York City visit, Prince Harry is scheduled to head to East Harlem where he’ll promote a baseball program that has become a cornerstone in the community.
For more than 20 years Harlem RBI has been serving the neighborhood. The organization started by reclaiming an abandoned garbage filled lot and turning it into 2 baseball diamonds that would become true fields of dreams for disadvantaged kids in East Harlem.
On it’s website the groups says ” The park became a hub of neighborhood activity connecting children families and volunteers through team sports.”
But it has not always been easy sailing. A proposed condominium development on the lot threatened the organization back in 2002., but eventually a deal was worked out the city gave them a long term license to rebuild and maintain their field of dreams.
The organization now partners with schools and hospitals and social service organizations to provide a variety of services to kids and their families. It serves boys and girls from 5 to 22 years old.
Prince Harry who has been helping wounded warriors and holding numerous events during his tour will make a couple of stops in the city. Around lunchtime he was scheduled to attend something called the Great Event in the financial district where the plan was to meet with U.K. businesses before heading uptown to Harlem.