Curtis Granderson, the star centerfielder for the New York Yankees, has made one of the largest donations in the history of the University of Illinois at Chicago, his alma mater. His gift will finance the construction of a new baseball stadium on campus that will be the home of the UIC Flames. Chicago Public Schools and teams from various other youth organizations will also be able to use Curtis Granderson Stadium.
In announcing the gift, Granderson stated, “There are a lot of people in the community that are in the same situation I was in 15 to 20 years ago. Now I am in a position where I have the ability to help kids pursue whatever dreams they have, whether they are educational, athletic or just life in general. I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to team up with UIC, which has helped me get to where I am today.”
Construction of the new stadium will begin this fall and the project is expected to be completed within two years. The stadium will have 1,200 seats and grassy areas for other spectators.
Big Ups to you for giving back and the manner in which you choose to do it. This undoubtedly will gain the attention of the inner city youth in around the area. At least I hope our African American kids will take an interest and get out and play more baseball. If we had a commitment from the City of Little Rock, Arkansas we could have baseball fields all over the city. I am proud of what you are doing.