Contact: Colleen Roche, Dwight Williams 212 788-2958
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today gave an official send-off to the New York City Youth basketball team as they leave for Cleveland to participate in an international basketball tournament organized by America’s Multi-Cultural Youth Gathering. Joining the Mayor were Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Community Assistance Unit, Rosemarie O’ Keefe and Al Peterson, Coordinator and Director of Inner City Games Get Fit Camp.
“This tournament gives our young athletes the opportunity to compete on an international level against teams from as far away as Brazil and Argentina,” Mayor Giuliani said. “Now our City’s youth will have an opportunity to repeat the performance of America’s Dream Team.”
“With New York City in the tournament, the other teams will have their work cut out for them because in New York, we don’t shy away from competition, we welcome it,” the Mayor continued. “Our competitive spirit shines brightest on the playing field. From our professional sports teams to our local youth leagues, New York is truly a sports city.”
“I think it will be a wonderful experience for a group of 10 to 12 year old boys to experience international competition at such an early age. It will be an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives, said Al Peterson. “They will proudly represent New York City against the rest of the world.”
The New York City Youth team will compete in Cleveland thanks to the sponsorship of The Jackie Robinson Center For Physical Culture and the New York Knicks, who generously donated the team uniforms.
The New York City Youth Basketball Send-Off is a program developed to bring America’s youth together. The main objective is to create a program where high school students can develop an appreciation for professional working values and the importance of a college education. In addition to the basketball tournament, there will also be seminars and workshops dealing with the important issues of the times.