A New Schoolyard, Decorated in Pinstripes

A worn-out schoolyard that was gloomy and hazardous is now bathed in bright colors and fitted with new basketball hoops and a baseball diamond. And for an hour on Monday, it was decorated with a splash of pinstripes — Yankee pinstripes.

Curtis Granderson, the Yankees' center fielder, stopped by Public School 19 Judith K. Weiss in the Bronx on Monday afternoon to promote healthy eating and recognize the opening of the redesigned schoolyard.

Students at the kindergarten to eighth-grade school at 4318 Katonah Avenue in Woodlawn Heights lined up to see and exchange high-fives with Mr. Granderson, as parents looked on from behind a chain link fence.

“New York City schools have a lot of Yankee fans,” said Todd M. Wagner, a science teacher at P.S. 19. “It’s cool to have someone come to their school who they see in the regular season. It can only be a positive thing.”

The school, which has 525 students, many of whom are enrolled in special education classes, received a B on its most recent school progress report.

During the visit, Mr. Granderson participated in a Fat Bat Wiffle Ball Challenge. The American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, sponsors of the event, promised to donate $100 to the school for every hit Mr. Granderson could send over the outfield fence.

In short order, Mr. Granderson — dressed in jeans, an Oxford shirt and loafers — hit 15 homers, each one amplified by the eager cheers of P.S. 19 students, many of whom were wearing Yankee gear.

"I would have never thought this would happen,” said the student body treasurer, Connor P. Devlin. “I felt that being on the top of the city, no one would pay attention.”

The event, Devlin said, made him feel, “that people care about us. People care about the school.”

Before the Wiffle Ball Challenge began, Mr. Granderson urged the students to eat their fruits and vegetables and stay active.

“This,” he said, referring to the schoolyard, “is where it all begins.”

The resurfaced yard, now colorfully decorated and marked for sports and other activities, was the project of Out2Play, a New York City nonprofit organization that brings private and public donors together to create safe play places. P.S. 19’s new schoolyard was financed by donations from the American Dairy Association; the New York Yankees; the Bronx borough president, Rubén Díaz Jr.; and the New York City Department of Education.

“I really like our new schoolyard,” said Katelyn M. Maloney, the student body president. “I like the basketball hoops, especially because I play basketball. The other hoops were not as good. They didn’t have a three-point line. This has got all of the positions.”

Parents approved of the new yard.

"It looks much better than it did," said Jennifer R. Dewender, whose son Dylan attends P.S. 19. "Much better."

Still, some of the parents said the students do not get enough activity.

“They need more phys ed in this school,” Ms. Dewender said. “Other than that, the kids are happy with the new courtyard.”