JUNE 15
JUNE 15
C RY D E R
P O I N T
C RY D E R
P O I N T
Whitestone Whitestone man man leads leads eff effort ort to rehab
Whitestone man leads eff ort to rehab
local baseball fields
local baseball fi elds
local baseball fi elds
www.qns.com | JUNE 2018 | CRYDER POINT COURIER 15
In his first visit to the Fort Totten
Park ballfields in about three decades,
Whitestone native Bobby
Gellert was surprised to find the lush
green spaces he remembered from his
childhood in a state of decay.
But, among the disrepair, he saw a
sign of hope: a baseball.
“Everything happens for a reason, I
believe,” he told The Courier.
Gellert, founder and owner of Whitestone
based brokerage firm Shares of
New York, decided this year to take on
a number of “passion projects,”seeking
to effect change in his local communities.
Though he now lives in Chappaqua
with his family,he decided to start with
his former hometown in Queens.
Remembering growing up playing
on the neighborhood’s ballfields for the
DAC Athletic Club, Gellert sought out
the organization in February. He met
current executive director John Zullo,
who explained that baseball participation
in northeast Queens has been in
steady decline.
“I explained to him that baseball as
he knew it back in the ’80s no longer
existed,” Zullo said. “So we kind of
pivoted from just working to help DAC
baseball to basically revitalizing baseball
in this community.”
“Baseball has been a passion of
mine for my entire life,” Gellert said.
“I didn’t know that the local baseball
leagues had deteriorated to the point
that they have.”
During their conversation, Gellert
and Zullo identified a place to start: the
ball-fields. Two fields at Fort Totten
were in poor condition — one currently
unusable — and one at Little Bay Park
needed attention, the director said.
“Our hope is by having nice, safe,
play-able fields for our kids to play on,
that it would rejuvenate the interest in
the sport itself,” Zullo said. “They can
get that feeling that they’re playing the
sport at a higher level.”
One of the Fort Totten fields were
rehabilitated at the end of April. Zullo
coor-dinated with a field maintenance
compa-ny, Three Guys Maintenance,
and Gellert, through Shares of New
York, donated the necessary funds.
Renovations at Little Bay Park will
take place mid-May. Th e second Fort
Totten field, which is in the worst condition
of the three, will take the largest
funding commitment.
“Zullo and fields and other facilities we can get involved
with to really do the things that
are necessary to bring baseball — the
way that we know it, the way that it
should be — back to Queens,” he said.
Gellert intends to form “Fields of
New York,” a nonprofit organization
through which he and his company
will raise funds to further his mission
to revive baseball in the local community.
He hopes to take his mission up to
Westchester — and beyond.
As for the baseball found at Fort
Totten Park, he looks to use it for a
ceremoni-al fi rst pitch at each of the
baseball fi elds he sees rehabilitated.
He keeps it close to remind him of
his mission: to see a renewed love for
America’s pastime here in Queens. “It
doesn’t have to happen tomorrow or
Gellert said. “If it happens
in my lifetime, that is fantastic.”
WWW.QNS.COM | JUNE 2018 | CRYDER POINT COURIER 15
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI SMONTEVERDI@QNS.COM / @SMONT76
In his fi rst visit to the Fort Totten
Park ballfi elds in about three decades,
Whitestone native Bobby
Gellert was sur-prised to fi nd the lush
green spaces he remembered from his
childhood in a state of decay.
But, among the disrepair, he saw a sign
of hope: a baseball.
“Everything happens for a reason, I believe,”
he told Th e Courier.
Gellert, founder and owner of Whitestone
based brokerage fi rm Shares of New
York, decided this year to take on a number
of “passion projects,” seeking to eff ect
change in his local communities. Th ough
he now lives in Chappaqua with his family,
he decided to start with his for-mer
hometown in Queens.
Remembering growing up playing on
the neighborhood’s ballfi elds for the DAC
Athletic Club, Gellert sought out the organization
in February. He met current executive
director John Zullo, who explained
that baseball participation in northeast
Queens has been in steady decline.
“I explained to him that baseball as he
knew it back in the ’80s no longer exist
ed,” Zullo said. “So we kind of pivoted
from just working to help DAC baseball
to basically revitalizing baseball in this
community.”
“Baseball has been a passion of mine for
my entire life,” Gellert said. “I didn’t know
that the local baseball leagues had deteriorated
to the point that they have.”
During their conversation, Gellert and
Zullo identifi ed a place to start: the ball-fi
elds. Two fi elds at Fort Totten were in
poor condition — one currently unusable
— and one at Little Bay Park needed attention,
the director said.
“Our hope is by having nice, safe, playable
fi elds for our kids to play on, that it
would rejuvenate the interest in the sport
itself,” Zullo said. “Th ey can get that
feel-ing that they’re playing the sport at a
higher level.”
One of the Fort Totten fi elds were reha
bilitated at the end of April. Zullo
coor-dinated with a fi eld maintenance
compa-ny, Th ree Guys Maintenance, and
Gellert, through Shares of New York, donated
the necessary funds.
Renovations at Little Bay Park will take
place mid-May. Th e second Fort Totten fi
eld, which is in the worst condition of the
three, will take the largest funding commitment.
“Zullo and I are talking about other
fi elds and other facilities we can get involved
with to really do the things that are
necessary to bring baseball — the way that
we know it, the way that it should be —
back to Queens,” he said.
Gellert intends to form “Fields of New
York,” a nonprofi t organization through
which he and his company will raise funds
to further his mission to revive baseball in
the local community. He hopes to take his
mission up to Westchester — and beyond.
As for the baseball found at Fort Totten
Park, he looks to use it for a ceremoni-al
fi rst pitch at each of the baseball fi elds
he sees rehabilitated. He keeps it close to
remind him of his mission: to see a renewed
love for America’s pastime here in
Queens.
“It doesn’t have to happen tomorrow next year,” Gellert said. “If it happens in
my lifetime, that is fantastic.”
WWW.QNS.COM | JUNE 2018 | CRYDER POINT COURIER 15
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI SMONTEVERDI@QNS.COM / @SMONT76
In his fi rst visit to the Fort Totten
Park ballfi elds in about three decades,
Whitestone native Bobby
Gellert was sur-prised to fi nd the lush
green spaces he remembered from his
childhood in a state of decay.
But, among the disrepair, he saw a sign
of hope: a baseball.
“Everything happens for a reason, I believe,”
he told Th e Courier.
Gellert, founder and owner of Whitestone
based brokerage fi rm Shares of New
York, decided this year to take on a number
of “passion projects,” seeking to eff ect
change in his local communities. Th ough
he now lives in Chappaqua with his family,
he decided to start with his for-mer
hometown in Queens.
Remembering growing up playing on
the neighborhood’s ballfi elds for the DAC
Athletic Club, Gellert sought out the organization
in February. He met current executive
director John Zullo, who explained
that baseball participation in northeast
Queens has been in steady decline.
“I explained to him that baseball as he
knew it back in the ’80s no longer exist
ed,” Zullo said. “So we kind of pivoted
from just working to help DAC baseball
to basically revitalizing baseball in this
community.”
“Baseball has been a passion of mine for
my entire life,” Gellert said. “I didn’t know
that the local baseball leagues had deteriorated
to the point that they have.”
During their conversation, Gellert and
Zullo identifi ed a place to start: the ball-fi
elds. Two fi elds at Fort Totten were in
poor condition — one currently unusable
— and one at Little Bay Park needed attention,
the director said.
“Our hope is by having nice, safe, playable
fi elds for our kids to play on, that it
would rejuvenate the interest in the sport
itself,” Zullo said. “Th ey can get that
feel-ing that they’re playing the sport at a
higher level.”
One of the Fort Totten fi elds were reha
bilitated at the end of April. Zullo
coor-dinated with a fi eld maintenance
compa-ny, Th ree Guys Maintenance, and
Gellert, through Shares of New York, donated
the necessary funds.
Renovations at Little Bay Park will take
place mid-May. Th e second Fort Totten fi
eld, which is in the worst condition of the
three, will take the largest funding commitment.
“Zullo and I are talking about other
fi elds and other facilities we can get involved
with to really do the things that are
necessary to bring baseball — the way that
we know it, the way that it should be —
back to Queens,” he said.
Gellert intends to form “Fields of New
York,” a nonprofi t organization through
which he and his company will raise funds
to further his mission to revive baseball in
the local community. He hopes to take his
mission up to Westchester — and beyond.
As for the baseball found at Fort Totten
Park, he looks to use it for a ceremoni-al
fi rst pitch at each of the baseball fi elds
he sees rehabilitated. He keeps it close to
remind him of his mission: to see a renewed
love for America’s pastime here in
Queens.
“It doesn’t have to happen tomorrow or
next year,” Gellert said. “If it happens in
my lifetime, that is fantastic.”
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