The 2011 RAB Pledge Drive

Update (4/13/2011): Just bumping this up in case anyone missed it. I replied to every pledge email I received with a real short “great, thanks,” or something to that effect. That’s just to confirm I’ve received your email. If you emailed a pledge and did NOT get my reply this afternoon, then please resend it. I’m worried the spam filter might be catching stuff it shouldn’t. Thanks.

Original Post (4/7/2011): In each of the last three years, we’ve helped raise money for various charities backed by prominent Yankees, both current or former. Three years ago it was The Jorge Posada Foundation, two years ago it was Joe Torre’s Safe At Home Foundation, and last year it was Curtis Granderson’s Grand Kids Foundation.

This year we’re going to help raise money for Harlem RBI and DREAM Charter School, a foundation that launched a “capital campaign to build an innovative mixed-use facility in East Harlem, New York City, a community that lacks the resources needed for young people to thrive.” The new facility will house “program and office space for Harlem RBI, a permanent home for DREAM Charter School, low-income housing for East Harlem families and a public park in which the community can Play, Learn and Grow.”  Mark Teixeira continues to work closely with the organization (which you can learn more about at its website), announcing yesterday that he’s donated $1M to the cause.

We’re not going to raise that much money, but every little bit helps. We’re going to base this year’s pledge drive on Tex’s RBI total, which hasn’t been below 105 since his rookie season in 2003. If you pledge $0.25 per RBI and he has a season on par with his 162-game career average (121 RBI), your pledge will be just $30.25. See? That won’t hurt your wallet much. Plus it’s a charitable donation, so it’s tax deductible. You could pledge less or more, whatever suits you best.

If you wish to pledge this year, just shoot me an email at charity (at) riveraveblues (dot) com and let me know how much you wish the pledge per RBI. I’ll then collect the pledges after the season and donate everything to Harlem RBI & DREAM. Thanks in advance, and go Yankees!