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Free citywide youth baseball league begins enrollment

Health Plus, the Police Athletic League and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation have teamed up to present the 2003 Health Plus Citywide Youth Baseball League, a free program for boys and girls ages 5 to 12, and boys-only ages 13-15.

More than 1,400 young athletes will participate on 95 teams in 10 parks throughout the city. The free program runs from June 21 through the end of August. Registration for the league will be held at 11 sites citywide on May 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The opening game will mark the beginning of a competitive season that will conclude with the championship game, in which Roberto Clemente Jr. will present the winning team with the Roberto Clemente Cup.

“Health Plus has partnered with PAL and the Dept. of Recreation to use baseball to foster personal development, athletics and health in our communities,” said Luis Ramos, Health Plus league organizer. “We are pleased to be able to offer our city’s children a free opportunity to be part of a team and to play in a top-notch league in beautiful parks instead of on the streets.”

The following Queens registration locations are:

Lost Battalion Hall

93-29 Queens Blvd.

Rego Park, NY 11374

718-520-5915

Contact: Jessica Cherry

Roy Wilkins Recreation Center

177th Street and Baisley Blvd.

St. Albans, NY 11434

718-520-5915

Contact: Jessica Cherry

Sorrentino Recreation Hall

18-48 Cornaga Ave., at Beach 19th St.

Far Rockaway, NY

718-471-4818

Contact: Bernard Robinson

Health Plus, a non-profit, multicultural organization, is one of the fastest-growing managed care organizations in New York City. It was established in 1984 with a commitment to provide coordinated quality health care and improve access to health care for uninsured and underserved families.

In its annual review of managed care plans, the New York state Department of Health ranked Health Plus as the top plan for quality in its 2002 “Consumer’s Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in New York City.”

Health Plus is New York City’s leading provider of Child Health Plus, a Department of Health program that offers parents free or low-cost health insurance for children under 19. Crain’s New York Business magazine ranked Health Plus seventh among the largest health maintenance organizations in the New York area.