Anthony Soto, a U.S. Marines veteran, left, Mayor Bloomberg, New York Mets Owner Fred Wilpon, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, and Mets radio broadcaster Josh Lewin unveil the renovations at the St. Albans Community Living Center this week. Photos Courtesy of Mayor Bloomberg’s Office
Flanked by former military men and women who have served from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, Major League Baseball representatives, officials from the New York Mets, and Mayor Bloomberg unveiled renovations at the St. Albans Community Living Center this week.
MLB and the Mets donated more than $200,000 for the project that transformed an outdoor green space and recreation area at the 386-bed facility at 179-00 Linden Blvd., which provides primary care, specialized geriatric programs and rehabilitation for veterans. The center is a part of the Veterans Administration Harbor Healthcare System.
Bank of America also donated to the project, giving $75,000 for the improved green space that includes the addition of an enclosed patio.
“Thanks to these renovations, residents here will have year-round independent access to outdoors space,” Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig said at a press conference held at the VA on Monday.
Veterans attend a press conference at the St. Albans VA on Monday announcing a project that included transforming an outdoor green space and recreation area at the facility on Linden Boulevard.
New York Mets Owner Fred Wilpon said he and his team were “very proud to be with the veterans who’ve served our nation and sacrificed for our nation.”
Anthony Soto, a St. Albans resident and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam, said the renovations will provide much-needed green space for residents to relax – as well as serving as a reminder that they are not forgotten.
“Finally, thank God, we have a place we can enjoy ourselves,” Soto said at the event that included Mets radio broadcaster Josh Lewin as master of ceremonies. “Compared to the space we had where nothing was, it’s truly elegant.”
Bloomberg stressed the importance of supporting veterans in Queens – and throughout the city.
“We owe them a tremendous debt,” the mayor said. “All the freedoms that we take for granted are not free. They were fought for. They were paid for with sweat and blood.”
Selig and Wilpon said the renovation work at St. Albans is part of an ongoing commitment their two organizations have made to military men and women through a group the MLB founded five years ago, Welcome Back Veterans. The group aims to increase public awareness about the needs of veterans – from those who served decades ago to individuals just returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We want everyone to know what the 1 percent does and what they need when they return,” said Wilpon, who especially stressed the importance of responding to veterans’ mental health needs.
Additionally, Selig and Wilpon noted that the St. Albans renovation is also part of the more than $5 million the MLB and the Mets have contributed to community betterment projects in New York.
By Anna Gustafson
