The Castle Hill YMCA was filled with baseball fans last week, but instead of the usual Yankees pinstripes, people milled about the gym wearing black and yellow Pittsburgh Pirates jerseys, proudly displaying the number 21.
They were joined by local nonprofit Project Club Clemente Inc., to celebrate the legacy of Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente with an annual breakfast and remembrance ceremony on Dec. 31.
The event also marked the 20th anniversary of when Project Club Clemente founder Judge Eliezer Rodriguez recreated and completed Clemente’s final humanitarian mission to Nicaragua the “Flight for Humanity.” The original flight, on which Clemente died in a 1972 plane crash, was carrying relief supplies to earthquake victims.
Rodriguez made a short video about the effort for the occasion.
“ It is not about nostalgia,” he said in the video. “It’s about remembering and honoring those who change this world for the better.”
The ceremony concluded a multi-day Roberto Clemente memorabilia exhibit hosted at the YMCA. The exhibit opened Dec. 27 and remained on display through the afternoon of Dec. 31, giving visitors several days to view artifacts celebrating Clemente’s baseball career and humanitarian work.
Former Bronx Assemblyman Jose Rivera was honored during the ceremony for his support of Project Club Clemente. Rivera received the organization’s “A Clemente” award, created to recognize community members whose service reflects Clemente’s humanitarian spirit. Organizers described the award as “synonymous with a good deed” and said Rivera’s contributions exemplified Clemente’s values of selflessness and community service.
Rodriguez also spoke about Rivera’s role in supporting the “Flight for Humanity.” He traveled to Nicaragua to greet Rodriguez’s flight and waited with his wife at the airport. But the two had a terrifying moment of uncertainty when the flight carrying the aid disappeared from the radar.
“ The mayor of Nicaragua came to me and I brought him to her and he said, ‘don’t worry, we just lost him in radar, they will be landing very soon,’” Rivera said, remembering the ordeal.
Soon, the flight landed safely and completed its mission to finally deliver the aid that Clemente intended to donate to Nicaragua in the 70s.
Bronx elected officials Borough President Vanessa Gibson and State Senator Nathalia Fernandez also attended the breakfast to celebrate Clemente’s legacy and honor Rivera.
Fernandez told the Bronx Times that she was excited to see how Clemente’s story had spread through the borough, gaining with it, a sense of duty to exemplify his values.
“ I remember 10 years ago when it was a poster board in a press conference and now we have an exhibit,” Fernandez said. “Now we have coalitions building of everyone continuing the legacy of Roberto Clemente, who he was for the Latino community, what he’s been able to do for humanity and how we can absolutely follow in the same footsteps and achieve the same things.”
Gibson said that she was proud to honor not only Clemente and Rivera, but also Project Club Clemente, which she told the Bronx Times had been setting young people in the Bronx up for success.
“ There are great opportunities that you can have as a young person in the baseball world, and I think this club acknowledges that, and it uses it as a catalyst to bring young people together,” Gibson said. “And let me acknowledge the importance of safe spaces for young people at a time when we are seeing far too much violence among young people under 21, it is encouraging to see organizations like Project Club Clemente, and I celebrate the many years of this organization.”
While the Pirates retired Clemente’s jersey number, 21, in 1973, Project Club Clemente leaders like Rodriguez advocated for the number to be retired throughout the entire MLB. He said the number holds great significance to many and that retiring it would immortalize Clemente and pay him the tribute he deserves.
“ This is for everyone,” Rodriguez said. “21 doesn’t just belong to the record books because what he did, he did for humanity. He gave his life for humanity and now it’s time for us to give something back to him.”
Reach Sadie Brown at sbrown@schnepsmedia.com or (214) 994-6723. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
