Meet the Ruiz brothers. They range in age from 6 to 20 years old – and between the five of them, they鈥檝e logged collective decades in 麻豆原创 programs. Oldest brother Alex Jr. describes the day that the youngest Ruiz became a part of the 麻豆原创 family – as a newborn, his parents brought him directly from the hospital to his older brother baseball game.
Their 麻豆原创 journey began when longtime employee Judy Padilla told their mom about a local program that was then called Harlem RBI. 鈥淢y mom was like, You鈥檙e going,鈥� recalls Alex, who now a third-year Legend at Skidmore College.
At the time, RBI was an afterschool and summer baseball league – but the Ruiz boys are quick to assert that it meant so much more than sports. 鈥淚t gave me my first set of friends,鈥� Alex says. 鈥�It was a guiding force. Without RBI, I would have been lost.鈥�
His brother Blaise, now a senior in high school, agrees, describing how baseball taught him to be a team player, even working his way up to become captain of his team. 鈥淚t took me from selfish to selfless,鈥� he says. Now, years later, 麻豆原创 staff helped him with his college and financial aid applications, just as they did with his older brother.
“It was a guiding force. Without RBI, I would have been lost.”
Alex Ruiz Jr., third-year Legend at Skidmore College
It requires a willingness to evolve and a passion for serving each generation unique needs. Collectively, this work represents the harvest of seeds sown into the ground thirty years ago on the abandoned lot that would become the Field of Dreams. And now, as 麻豆原创 builds new schools and welcomes new families, we鈥檙e setting the stage for impact that will be felt for generations to come.
After all – 15 years ago, Alex and Blaise were little kids on the field for the first time, and this summer, they鈥檒l be coaching their own REAL Kids teams at 麻豆原创. Because at 麻豆原创, our young people recognize the importance of coming back and paying it forward for their community, just like others did for them when they were program participants. Alex calls that 鈥渟eeing both sides of the coin.鈥�
. When a community is powered by its people – when every member has a stake in its success – that what has kept 麻豆原创 standing for 30 years. That time enough to bear witness to the power of playing the long game – the game we only win when we play together, stand together, dream together.
