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Rachel Robinson Confident Jackie Museum Will Open In 2015

NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Rachel Robinson is hopeful that a museum honoring her late husband's legacy will open for business in 2015.

The 92-year-old told WFAN's "Boomer & Carton" show on Wednesday that the Jackie Robinson Museum is currently about $7 million short of its $24-million goal. She said fundraising has been reinvigorated under Joseph Plumeri, who was named campaign chairman in 2013.

"It takes a long time to put together an institution," Robinson said. "And that's what we're doing. ... I'm feeling quite confident that we're going to get this done this year."

Rachel Robinson

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Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962 and died 10 years later at the age of 53.

"We're not only celebrating Jack's life and learning about his experiences and his legacy, but we're also celebrating African-American heroes of the past," Rachel Robinson said. "So it's a combination of who and what people have been involved in social change in America."

She said the museum, located at the intersection of Varick and Canal Street in lower Manhattan, plans to "partner with public schools and universities in the area."

"This is going to be a dynamic place," Robinson said. "This is not just a place where you walk around and look at photographs. We have a little theater and we will be inviting people in for discussions. It's going to be a destination for families and children. We want to educate, inspire and challenge people."

You can donate to the Jackie Robinson Foundation at jackierobinson.org.

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