Harmon Field Dallara project hosting groundbreaking Friday 

TRYON — A groundbreaking ceremony for the Harry Dallara project at Harmon Field will take place at 10 a.m. Friday. 

The groundbreaking will be to formalize the beginning of a major upgrade to the athletic complex, including the renovation of one of the baseball diamonds with new fencing and gates, a new scoreboard, and landscaping.  

The project also calls for a bronze statue of Dallara, inspired by a photograph of the man hitting a baseball at the age of 92. The project will also include a bas relief sculpture to honor the Tryon Allstars, a semi-professional African American baseball team from the 1940s, which, because of segregation, were not allowed to play at Harmon Field.  

The sculptures will be created by William Behrends, of Tryon.  

The groundbreaking ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., and conclude with light refreshments in the Harmon Field cabin at 11:30 a.m.  

The Harry Dallara Memorial Foundation was established to honor the life of Dallara, who was born in 1917 and died in 2012, shortly after his last visit to Harmon Field. Dallara grew up in the Bronx and settled in the Piedmont of South Carolina after serving in World War II, and discovered Tryon and Harmon Field soon after.  

“To honor its namesake, the Harry Dallara Foundation has committed its energy and financial resources to making significant improvements to the baseball facilities at the sports complex,” stated a press release from the Harry Dallara Foundation. “All of the improvements envisioned by the foundation are intended to enhance the enjoyment of those who make use of Harmon Field, to promote additional interest in this family-oriented athletic facility, by boys and girls of all ethnic backgrounds, building bridges across all parts of the Tryon community and the Piedmont region.”  

For more information on the project visit harrydallarafoundation.org.