Rename park in Silverman’s honor

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To the editor,

Your article on the untimely passing of Bruce Silverman (“Mentor to young athletes dies at 52,” Feb. 12) was a just and respectful tribute to a leader in the Riverdale community. As you described, Bruce was a uniquely generous person who gave of his time and energy to insure that Riverdale kids would have the fields and the opportunity to play sports and play them close to home.

I coached against Bruce in the South Riverdale Little League and served with Bruce on the Board of the Riverdale Soccer Club for seven years. Riverdale soccer did not exist in the mid-1990s and now has over 700 kids playing soccer every weekend in the fall and spring. Riverdale soccer would not exist were it not for the two decades of tireless efforts of Michael Holoszyz. Bruce served as Chairman of the Board for the past nine years and I had the privilege of serving with both Michael and Bruce for the past seven years.

In my time on the board, whenever difficult issues arose, I can remember, on dozens of occasions, Bruce saying something to the effect of, “All I want is for Riverdale kids to experience the joy of playing soccer.” He was motivated by the purest of instincts and the results of his efforts were manifested every weekend as hundreds of kids enjoyed soccer at local parks, including Seton. This commitment, as well as his proximity to Seton Park, resulted in weekly involvement and concern for the conditions at Seton. Michael and Bruce spent dozens of hours every year insuring that the fields at Seton Park were in the best possible condition for the games that coming weekend.

It strikes me that nothing could be more appropriate, with the family’s approval, than affixing Bruce’s name to this park and I would encourage the political leaders in Riverdale to mount this campaign on behalf of the Riverdale community and, as Spike Lee might say, “Do the Right Thing.”

Sam Gurka

Burce Silverman, Seton Park, Sam Gurka

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