REPRESENTATIVE ADRIANO ESPAILLAT TO LEAD EVENT CELEBRATING RUCKER PARK NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE DESIGNATION

NEW YORK, NY - Sunday, September 7th at 1:00 p.m. (EDT), Representative Adriano Espaillat, in collaboration with the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, will host a commemorative event celebrating the national historic site designation of Holcombe Rucker Park on Sunday, September 7, 2025.

The celebration will kick-off with a Legends Breakfast at the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel honoring the Rucker Family, Marius Family and Sandman Simms, followed by a site dedication and exhibition games that will begin at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) showcasing the New York All-Stars vs. Boston All Stars (Girls Middle School Game) and New York All Stars vs. Philly All Stars (Boys High School Game) at the famed Rucker Park at 155th St and 8th Ave. in Harlem.

"It was an honor to introduce legislation that was signed into law recognizing the tremendous impact of the Harlem community, designating the Holcombe Rucker Park as a national commemorative site," said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13). "Thank you to my colleagues, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, for their collaborative efforts to secure passage of the bill in the U.S. Senate and to each of the community advocates, who helped get this bill across the finish line. I am deeply appreciative for the support this historic bill has received from the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and our dear friend Lloyd Williams since day one. Our collective efforts have enshrined the legacy of Holcombe Rucker as one of America's national commemorative sites that will continue to be celebrated for generations to come."

"We are excited for the first time in over a century that Upper Manhattan has a new, federally-enshrined commemorative site," said Voza Rivers, co-founder of HARLEM WEEK. "Rucker Park isn't just a court; it's a global sports & cultural mecca for legends like Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Nate "Tiny" Archibald, Bill Bradley, Wilt Chamberlain, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, and Nancy Lieberman to name a few."

WHO: U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat
National Park Service
Elected Officials
Rucker Park Honorees

WHAT: Holcombe Rucker Park National Commemorative Site Dedication

WHEN: Sunday, September 7th at 1:00 p.m. (EDT)

WHERE: Holcombe Rucker Park -- 280 W 155th St, New York, NY 10039

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government's vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at [email protected]