“Ray spent so much time at Remington that it just made sense to hold a celebration here”, Michael Highland, a childhood friend of Rice, said in a release.
Rice, one of the club’s most inspirational former members, was just 8 years old when he played in youth tackle football leagues.
“Ray is proof positive that the right attitude and support system can motivate a child to dream big and achieve high goals," Quay Watkins, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle, said in the release.
“Given his humble beginnings in public housing and the numerous temptations that youth fall prey to, the odds of Ray’s success were not favorable.”
Rice was mentored by the staff at the club and given the encouragement to go after his dreams, according to Watkins. “As a result of the support he received here, Ray, like so many of our distinguished alumni, took those initial steps towards his personal success story,” he added.
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