The Harry Dallara Foundation will hold a fundraiser on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Sunnydale in Tryon. Special guest and featured speaker will be Mr. Bobby Richardson, New York Yankee Second Baseman from 1955 through 1966 and 1960 World Series MVP.
Although the foundation has raised approximately $400,000 from national and international private donors, it has not yet asked for gifts from individuals and businesses in Tryon and the greater Piedmont region. Now is your opportunity to help us reach our goal of raising an additional $300,000 needed to complete the project.
The Harry Dallara Memorial Foundation was established to honor the life and memory of Harry Anthony Joseph Dallara (1917–2012), who grew up in the Bronx, settled in the Piedmont area of South Carolina after serving in World Ward II, and soon thereafter discovered Tryon, North Carolina, and Harmon Field, a 36-acre athletic complex donated to the Town of Tryon by the Harmon Foundation in 1927. The complex includes baseball fields, tennis courts, walking trails, equestrian facilities, picnic and playground areas, camping sites, and other opportunities for family activities.
To honor its namesake, the Harry Dallara Foundation has committed its energy and financial resources to making significant improvements to the baseball facilities at the sports complex. All of the improvements envisioned by the Foundation are intended to enhance the enjoyment of those who make use of Harmon Field, to promote additional interest in this family-oriented athletic facility by boys and girls of all ethnic backgrounds, building bridges across all parts of the Tryon community and the Piedmont region.
Plans for the project call for a complete renovation of one of Harmon Field’s baseball diamonds, including new fencing and gates, a new scoreboard, and landscaping to create a park-like atmosphere. The project will feature a commissioned bronze statue of Harry Dallara inspired by a photograph of Harry hitting a baseball at the age of 92. In addition, there will be a bas-relief sculpture designed to honor the Tryon All Stars, a semi-professional negro baseball team formed in the early 1940s, which, because of segregation, were not allowed to play at Harmon Field during that era.
There are several ways to support the project:
o Attend the fundraiser and make a gift at that time
o Make a gift directly to the foundation by mailing a check to the Harry Dallara Foundation at The Harry Dallara Memorial Foundation, Att: Charles H. Dallara, Chairman, c/o Partners Group USA, The Grace Building, 1114 Ave of the Americas, 37th Floor, New York, NY 10036 or by wire transfer to BB&T Bank, Fairfax, VA, SWIFT Code: BRBTUS33, Routing Number: 051404260, Account Number: 0252209697
o Underwrite the cost of a portion of the project (e.g. the bas relief, team gear and uniforms, scoreboard, etc). The cost of such items can be obtained at the fundraiser on March 21, 2018.
o Donate an item to be auctioned off at the fundraiser on March 20, 2018. To confirm your auction item, contact Gale Hagan Gayta (gale.hagan-gayta@partnersgroup.com 212-908-2766), Charles Dallara (charles.dallara@partnersgroup.com 212-908-2782).
The Harry Dallara Memorial Foundation is an IRS approved 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Donations to the foundation are tax deductible.
Please feel free to visit us on line at harrydallarafoundaton.org.