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Home , 2009 World Series, Alfredo Aceves, Brian Bruney, Brian Cashman, Chad Gaudin, Chris Stewart (baseball)

New York Yankees

HOPE Week Initiative 2009 – 2013

Celebrating HOPE Week’s Fifth Anniversary in 2014

www.hopeweek.com TABLE OF CONTENTS www.hopeweek.com Overview of the HOPE Week Initiative...... 2 Implementation of the HOPE Week Initiative. . . .4 HOPE Week 2013 Honorees ...... 5 Community Impact and Media Outreach . . . . . 6 Celebrities Visit HOPE Week ...... 8 HOPE Week 2013 Events...... 9 Prior HOPE Week Honorees and Events ...... 16

OVERVIEW OF THE HOPE WEEK INITIATIVE

ntroduced in 2009 and having completed its fifth year, the Yankees’ HOPE Week initiative (Helping Others Persevere & IExcel) is rooted in the fundamental belief that acts of goodwill provide hope and encouragement to more than just the recipient of the gesture.

On each of five consecutive days during the celebration of HOPE Week, the Yankees shine a spotlight on a different individual, family or organization worthy of public recognition and support. Each day is designed so honorees can share their inspirational stories with Yankees players, fans and the media while being surprised with a day of their dreams tailored especially for them. PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT Though each day’s celebration ultimately culminates with a President officially announced visit to Yankee on the day of a game, outreach typically the return of HOPE Week in 2010 during an April 26 ceremony honoring the Yankees’ takes place at a location in the community that symbolizes the 2009 championship. accomplishments of the honoree.

At its core, HOPE Week is about people helping people. The one thing everybody has — no matter where they come from, what their financial situation is or what kind of skills they possess — is time. By involving our players and coaches, , and our front-office staff during the celebration of HOPE Week, we are sending the message that everyone can give of themselves to make their community a better place.

2 • www.hopeweek.com BRINGING HOPE IN 2013

Each day from Monday, July 8, through Friday, July 12, the Yankees reached out to an individual, family or organization worthy of recognition and support. Though each celebration culminated at , outreach frequently took place away from the field.

HOPE Week 2013 marked the second year that all of the organization’s U.S.-based minor league clubs held their own HOPE Weeks, allowing the initiative to reach five new cities and touch more than two dozen additional individuals and groups.

Gulf Coast League

The Yankees are also proud to have inspired other organizations to embark on their own annual HOPE Week traditions, including the , who held their first HOPE Week in 2011. Other community groups and businesses, including the Rhode Island Interscholastic League and Dittman Incentive Marketing of New Brunswick, N.J., have begun similar HOPE-themed Thursday’s on-field game with special- projects to honor heroes in their respective communities. needs children

Equally important to the success of HOPE Week is arranging and maximizing media coverage of the events, as the greatest challenge facing many not-for-profits is generating interest, awareness and funding for their missions.

www.hopeweek.com • 3 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HOPE WEEK INITIATIVE

THE SPONSORS LISTED BELOW HAVE he Yankees’ HOPE Week initiative is an organizational effort, CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF HOPE WEEK integrating players, coaches, alumni, the Yankees front office, dozens of sponsors and some of ’s most iconic THROUGH THEIR GENEROUS DONATIONS OF T social and corporate institutions. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: The initial phase of HOPE Week planning involves the selection of honorees. In order to draw on the most diverse and inspiring group possible, an online nomination form is made available to the public on yankees.com. Additionally, the Yankees Communications and Media Relations Department reviews fan mail and local and national news reports to find exceptional individuals and groups to recognize. HOPE Week organizers also reach out to other institutions, such as the Department of Education, for potential honorees.

HOPE Week is designed to be an event that fans and our players look forward to each year. To generate greater public awareness of the project, the Yankees have kicked off HOPE Week Monday on NBC’s TODAY show in four of the last five years, with prominent Yankees such as and CC Sabathia making appearances to discuss the spirit of the initiative.

Everyone from players to the grounds crew to the week’s honorees wear HOPE Week T-shirts and caps during the daily celebrations. The HOPE Week logo is painted on the playing field and worn on buttons by Stadium staff. Fans are given pamphlets with information on the honorees, and all event information is incorporated in the club’s media notes and press releases. Additionally, the Yankees’ YES Network leads each game broadcast with coverage of HOPE Week events and produces a half-hour program, the Emmy Award-winning HOPE Week Remembered, which recaps the events at the end of the week.

The Yankees also integrate non-baseball celebrities and public figures to attract the attention of a wider range of the public. HOPE Week events have featured former New York City Mayor , Cardinal Timothy Dolan (Archbishop of New York), actress Melissa Joan Hart, TV’s “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro, Latin singer Romeo Santos and swimsuit models Kate Upton, Chrissy Teigen and Julie Henderson.

Throughout the five-day stretch of games, the HOPE Week narrative is woven into the Yankees’ on-field activities. Honorees are treated like members of the team, joining players and coaches next to the hitting cage during practice and on the field after victories for celebratory high-fives. They also participate in traditional pregame festivities, including ceremonial first pitches and the exchange of team lineup cards. Most importantly, all are given a platform to tell their inspiring stories in their own voices.

4 • www.hopeweek.com OPE Week 2013 brought to light five diverse stories representing young and old, men and Hwomen, and various races and nationalities. Those honored in 2013 are described below. ROCKAWAY SPECIAL ATHLETES (Founder Joe Featherston’s E-mail: [email protected]) Rockaway Special Athletes is dedicated to helping individuals ON-SITE LOCATIONS with physical and emotional disabilities by providing recreational AND FACILITATING sports in a nurturing environment. The group attracts participants INSTITUTIONS DURING from and and has met almost every Monday THE FIVE YEARS OF night since 1996. After Hurricane Sandy destroyed its home HOPE WEEK: gymnasium at St. Camillus Church in October 2012, another local church, St. Rose of Lima, graciously stepped up to host RSA events until repairs could be completed.

PILLOWS OF LOVE (Visit “Autumn’s Pillows of Love” on ) After learning how to sew, 10-year-old Rome, New York-native Autumn Blinn decided to make a pillow for her grandfather, who undergoes frequent kidney dialysis. Seeing the joy it brought him, Autumn realized that other dialysis patients could be uplifted by the gift of a pillow. Without prompting, she dove into making “Pillows of Love” for as many people as possible. In the last two years, she has made approximately 200 pillows for sick children and adults.

NEW BEGINNING ANIMAL RESCUE (www.nycstopdoginc.com) In 2012, after 16 successful years at New York City Animal Care and Control, Pedro Rosario created the not-for-profit New Beginning Animal Rescue (NBAR) in an industrial part of the East Bronx. The organization takes in unwanted, abandoned, abused or stray pets and attempts to find suitable homes for each of them. The group is by volunteers, who take care of animals at Rosario’s kennel. Some volunteers are high school students who gain a sense of pride and purpose in caring for the animals.

BIRTHDAY WISHES (www.birthdaywishes.org) Birthday Wishes was founded in November 2002 by three friends who wanted to help homeless children build self-esteem. Having volunteered in several homeless shelters, it occurred to them that the birthdays of children living at shelters often went unnoticed and uncelebrated. Birthday Wishes currently serves more than 185 shelters and transitional living facilities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and . In 2014, they will hold parties for more than 20,000 homeless children living in shelters.

STAND FOR THE SILENT (www.standforthesilent.org) Stand for the Silent was originally started in 2010 by a group of Riverdale Equestrian Centre students from Oklahoma high schools after they heard the story of 11-year-old Ty Field-Smalley, who took his own life after being bullied at school over a stretch of two years. Since that time, his father, Kirk [pictured at left], and his mother, Laura, have picked up the torch for the organization. They go around the country at their own expense, telling the story of their son and others like him as a means to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening to another family. Since May 2010, they have spoken to more than 820,000 students and adults. www.hopeweek.com • 5 COMMUNITY IMPACT AND MEDIA OUTREACH

IN ADDITION TO DRAWING MEDIA COVERAGE ach of the five honorees during HOPE Week is given a TO HONOREES’ CAUSES, THE YANKEES HAVE day of their dreams, complete with surprise elements MADE $10,000 DONATIONS TO NOT-FOR-PROFIT Einvolving Yankees players, dignitaries and celebrities. ORGANIZATIONS ON EACH OF THE 25 HOPE Throughout the entire process, local, national and international WEEK DAYS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS: media are given the opportunity to record and report on events to allow for comprehensive storytelling over a complete 2013 range of media platforms. The goal is to give these exemplary ROCKAWAY SPECIAL Athletes provides weekly, individuals and groups the largest possible audience for their athletics-oriented gatherings for individuals with inspirational messages. physical and emotional disabilities. ronald mcdonald house New york ($5,000) / All events are designed to generate attention and raise the Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare ($5,000) RMHNY provides temporary housing for pediatric cancer profile of social issues affecting our nation and the world. patients and their families in New York City. Faxton- Beyond getting these stories into the mainstream media, St. Luke’s provides healthcare in the Mohawk Valley the Yankees organization looks to reward honorees for their region of New York state. fortitude in the face of adversity. NEW BEGINNING ANIMAL RESCUE takes in abandoned or stray animals and looks to find suitable homes for them. The publicity that HOPE Week garners for different causes and BIRTHDAY WISHES provides birthday parties for charities permanently changes lives for the better. As an honoree children who are living in homeless shelters. in 2011, Daniel’s Music Foundation was given a forum to show STAND FOR THE SILENT holds presentations for millions of people the profound good they do in providing New schools and communities about the dangers and Yorkers with disabilities with free therapeutic music instruction. consequences of bullying. However, the Yankees’ influence does not end when HOPE Week ends. The news articles, reports and photos from 2012 DMF’s HOPE Week day live on as a permanent testimonial by the FLYING MANES provides therapeutic horseback riding instruction to individuals with disabilities in Yankees in support of its cause. As a result, DMF has since raised New York City. enough money to open a new 8,700-square-foot studio, which is an angel in queens feeds the hungry 365 days four times the size of its old location and doubles the of a year underneath the elevated subway at Jackson individuals it can serve. Avenue-73rd Street in Queens. National organization for albinism As is the HOPE Week tradition, all prior honorees are invited back for and hypopigmentation provides support for individuals with albinism and their families. the current HOPE Week. In 2013, alumni attended the anti-bullying Glamourgals brings together teens and seniors discussion presented by Stand for the Silent in Yankee Stadium’s by performing makeovers at assisted living facilities. Great Hall, and in 2012, alumni joined Yankees General Manager CHILDREN’S ALOPECIA PROJECT promotes the Brian Cashman in Jackson Heights, Queens, to feed the hungry confidence and self-esteem of children with with honoree Jorge Munoz. The gesture of returning to give back alopecia as they enter their teen years. symbolizes what HOPE Week aspires to be.

6 • www.hopeweek.com President’s Volunteer Service Award At the conclusion of each HOPE Week from 2010 through 2013, the Yankees and the were honored with The President’s Volunteer Service Award, which is given “in recognition and appreciation of commitment to strengthening the nation and for making a difference through volunteer service.” The awards were bestowed by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation in conjunction with the Corporation for National and Community Service.

HOPE WEEK STORIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED NATIONALLY 2011 AND INTERNATIONALLY BY: Daniel’s Music Foundation provides free music instruction to individuals with disabilities in the New York City area. Tuesday’s Children promotes healing for those impacted by Sept. 11, 2001, and other incidents of terrorism worldwide. Ss. Joachim & Anne School supports and mentors the young refugees of the January 2010 Haitian earthquake. Special Olympics ($5,000) / Seton Foundation for Learning ($5,000) The Special Olympics celebrates athletes with disabilities. Seton Foundation provides support for schools for the disabled. Miracle League of Northampton County operates a specially equipped for those with disabilities in Northampton Co., .

2010 Healing the Children - gives children around the world a chance to receive life- saving medical treatment in the U.S. The Seeing Eye Guide Dog School trains guide dogs for thousands of people with visual impairments.

Found from website recreated PMS Bronx Leadership Academy gives Bronx students the chance to realize their dreams of going to college. Beautiful People unites children with disabilities and the broader community of Orange County, New York, through adaptive sports programs. Women in Need, inc. provides homeless women and their families with housing, support and the skills to become self-reliant.

2009 patchwork for young leaders society mentors and provides an outlet for at-risk young people in Washington Heights. united cerebral palsy educates, advocates and provides support services for people with a spectrum of disabilities. ALS Association leads the way in research, support and patient services for those with ALS. xeroderma pigmentosum society provides families the skills and support to care for those with life- threatening sun-sensitivity disorders. yai teaches work and life skills to those with a variety of disabilities to foster their independence, dignity and productivity in the workforce and community.

www.hopeweek.com • 7 CELEBRITIES VISIT HOPE WEEK

he support of celebrities and public figures during HOPE Week has been critical to the success of the initiative, allowing the message of the event to reach beyond baseball fans. At its essence, the HOPE Week T mission transcends sports and is simply about people from all walks of life reaching out to help each other.

Cake Boss Buddy Valastro [R] Former New York City Mayor Michael Former Rutgers football star Bloomberg [C] Eric LeGrand Sports Illustrated swimsuit models Kate Upton [L], Julie Henderson [C] and Chrissy Teigen [R]

Former Yankees player Paul O’Neill

WWE Superstar “Big Show” [R]

Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Latin recording artist Romeo Santos Matthew Sapolin, late commissioner for the Mayor’s Office for People with Former Yankees manager Disabilities [L] [R]

Former Yankees player and current jazz Yankees Hall of Famer Actress Melissa Joan Hart [R] Former Yankees player [R] recording artist [R] [L]

8 • www.hopeweek.com HOPE WEEK 2013 EVENTS

MONDAY JULY 8, 2013 he kicked off HOPE Week 2013 by celebrating Rockaway Special Athletes T (RSA), and the group’s founder, Joe Featherston. Additionally, St. Camillus-St. Virgilius Parish (the group’s original home) and St. Rose of Lima School (which took the group in after Hurricane Sandy destroyed the St. Camillus gymnasium) were also honored. Yankees players Ivan Nova, , , , and Alberto Gonzalez joined in one of their get-togethers at St. Rose of Lima School in Rockaway Beach. The Yankees and RSA participants played kickball, Wiffle ball and in the school gymnasium. RSA participants and their families then visited Yankee Stadium for the team’s 7:05 p.m. game against Kansas City. The athletes watched batting practice from the field and were part of pregame on-field ceremonies.

NOTHING BUT NET THERE’S NO “I” IN TEAM Above: Ivan Nova takes on Rockaway Special Top : Yankees players and Rockaway Special Athletes pose for Athletes in a pickup game of basketball at St. a group photo after playing kickball, basketball and Wiffle ball. Rose of Lima School in the Rockaways.

www.hopeweek.com • 9 TUESDAY JULY 9, 2013 n Tuesday, the Yankees celebrated 10-year-old Autumn Blinn and her dedication to those in need O through her “Pillows of Love” initiative. Yankees Manager Joe Girardi and players David Robertson, Robinson Cano, Eduardo Nunez and surprised Autumn and assisted her in handing out homemade pillows to children at the Ronald McDonald House on the Upper East Side of . The players, Autumn, and her family spent time with the children, playing games in the playroom of the facility and having a pizza party. Autumn and her family joined the Yankees for their 7:05 p.m. game against Kansas City, where they watched batting practice from the field and were part of pregame on-field ceremonies.

MOVED TALKING ‘BOUT A REVOLUTION Top: Yankees General Partner / Vice Chairperson Jennifer Above: Yankees Eduardo Nunez [L] and Robinson Cano [R] join the children Steinbrenner Swindal greets Pillows of Love founder of Ronald McDonald House for a game of Dance Dance Revolution. Autumn Blinn at the start of the day’s event.

10 • www.hopeweek.com GRANDPA NOT PLAYING IT COOL SMILE TIME Below: Prior to Tuesday’s HOPE Week event, the attendance of Yankees players Below: Autumn [C], her mother, Kara Snell [L], and her father, was kept a secret from Autumn’s grandfather and mentor, John Santiago [far L]. Raymond Snell [R], pose for a photo during the HOPE Week event.

SOFT LANDING Above: Before handing out Autumn’s homemade pillows, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi joins Autumn in addressing the children at Ronald McDonald House as Vernon Wells [C] looks on.

www.hopeweek.com • 11 WEDNESDAY JULY 10, 2013 n Wednesday, the Yankees celebrated New Beginning Animal Rescue, located in an industrial Opart of the East Bronx. New Beginning takes in unwanted, abandoned, abused or stray pets and attempts to find suitable homes for each of them. Yankees players , and surprised founder Pedro Rosario and his staff, which includes local youth, who are getting the chance to gain valuable animal-care skills at a young age. The players took a tour of the facility in the morning and helped with some of the shelter’s daily chores. Later at Yankee Stadium, Rosario hosted a booth near Gate 4 and talked about adoption with fans.

KISSY-FACE RINSE CYCLE Top: HOPE Week honoree Pedro Rosario says hello to Above: New Beginning Animal Rescue founder Pedro Rosario [second from one of the dogs he shelters at New Beginning Animal R] is joined in washing one of his rescued dogs by Yankees General Partner / Rescue in . Vice Chairperson Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal and Yankees players Shawn Kelley [far L], Ichiro Suzuki [standing] and Brett Gardner [far R].

12 • www.hopeweek.com THURSDAY JULY 11, 2013 hursday of HOPE Week saw the Yankees celebrate the not-for-profit group Birthday Wishes and founder, Lisa TVasiloff. Founded in 2002, Birthday Wishes provides birthday parties for children living in homeless shelters. To honor the organization, the Yankees hosted a party at the Stadium for children from local homeless shelters. After arriving at Yankee Stadium, the children and their families visited the field, where they were greeted in the Yankees by Manager Joe Girardi. They were then brought to a suite where Yankees players , CC Sabathia, , , and and surprised them with a birthday party with live music, games, food and cake.

IF THE SHOE FITS IS THIS YOUR CARD? Top: Yankees Mariano Rivera gives a young child a pair Below: Birthday Wishes children and Yankees pitcher CC of brand-new Nike sneakers. Sabathia can’t believe the magician [far L] has made the missing card from his trick appear in his mouth.

www.hopeweek.com • 13 FRIDAY JULY 12, 2013 n Friday, the Yankees recognized the efforts of Kirk and Laura Smalley and Stand for the Silent. In just three years, Stand for the Silent has Ospoken out about the dangers of bullying to almost 820,000 students, parents and teachers in the U.S. and abroad. Yankees General Partner / Vice Chairperson Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal, General Manager Brian Cashman, players , , , , and , pitching coach and WWE Superstar “Big Show,” joined Kirk and Laura in the Great Hall at Yankee Stadium for a presentation from the group. Kirk, along with Yankees players and coaches, spoke about the importance of respecting others to several hundred students, parents and teachers from local school and community groups.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL TOWER OF STRENGTH Above: Stand for the Silent leader Kirk Smalley addresses a gathering Above: Kirk Smalley talks directly to the biggest man in the room, of students, parents and teachers in Yankee Stadium’s Great Hall. the WWE’s 7-foot, 425-pound Superstar, “The Big Show.”

14 • www.hopeweek.com HEART-TO-HEART SON REMEMBERED Below: During his talk, Kirk Smalley [R] turns toward the stage to speak directly Below: Kirk Smalley shows the students a photo of to Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte [C] and pitching coach Larry Rothschild [far L]. his son, who took his own life after being bullied.

TEARING UP Above: Kirk Smalley counsels a young student who was overcome after hearing about the devastating effects of bullying.

www.hopeweek.com • 15 PRIOR HOPE WEEK HONOREES AND EVENTS 2012 HOPE WEEK FLYING MANES (www.flyingmanes.org) The Yankees began HOPE Week 2012 by celebrating the Flying Manes. Yankees players Mark Teixeira, and and pitching coach Larry Rothschild surprised children with special needs and their instructors during one of their therapeutic horseback riding classes at the Riverdale Equestrian Centre in the Bronx. The Yankees helped students with grooming the horses and also assisted in leading and walking beside the horses during the riding lesson. JORGE MUNOZ (www.anangelinqueens.com) On Tuesday of HOPE Week, Yankees players Robinson Cano, , Hiroki Kuroda and Boone Logan surprised Jorge Munoz in the kitchen of his home and helped him cook the daily meal he prepares for 140 people who would otherwise go hungry. Shortly after the start of that night’s Yankees game, General Manager Brian Cashman, along with Yankees front-office staff members and previous HOPE Week honorees, joined Munoz in traveling to Queens to feed the hungry at his usual time and location at 9:30 p.m. underneath the elevated subway tracks at Roosevelt Avenue and 73rd Street. ANDY FASS (www.albinism.org) On Wednesday, the Yankees invited 5-year-old Andy Fass to their 1:05 p.m. game against . Players surprised Andy in a suite prior to the game and brought him down to the field for pregame introductions. They also invited him to a postgame party in his honor at the MLB Fan Cave in Manhattan. Yankees players Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and , third base coach , first base coach and hitting coach escorted the Fass family and friends down to the Fan Cave for a private T-ball lesson and other games with children who, like Andy, have albinism. GLAMOURGALS (www.glamourgals.org) On Thursday, the Yankees celebrated GlamourGals, a not-for-profit organization composed of male and female high school and college-age volunteers who give manicures and makeovers to seniors at assisted living facilities. The organization’s goal is to foster self- esteem and mutual respect while building meaningful relationships. Yankees , David Robertson and his wife, Erin, and Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, surprised the GlamourGals at the East Haven Nursing and Senior Rehab Center in the Bronx, joining them to in makeovers of the residents. CHILDREN’S ALOPECIA PROJECT (www.childrensalopeciaproject.org) The Yankees wrapped up HOPE Week 2012 on Friday by celebrating the Children’s Alopecia Project (CAP). Yankees players , , Raul Ibanez, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, Dewayne Wise and were joined by former Yankees Reggie Jackson, and , Yankees Manager Joe Girardi and bullpen coach Mike Harkey, who all took part in a surprise picnic for the children and their families. Yankees players and CAP kids enjoyed face-painting, a scavenger hunt, lunch and games at The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. In addition, the Yankees were proud to welcome Rutgers alum Eric LeGrand, who took part in the day’s events as a HOPE Week ambassador.

16 • www.hopeweek.com 2011 HOPE WEEK

DANIEL’S MUSIC FOUNDATION (www.danielsmusic.org) On Monday of HOPE Week, the Yankees teamed up with Daniel’s Music Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that provides free music instruction to individuals with disabilities in New York City, to hold a special concert at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on . Yankees players Nick Swisher, , and Chris Dickerson were joined by former Yankees and Latin Grammy Award- nominee Bernie Williams, Latin pop star Romeo Santos and a plethora of Broadway stars, who contributed their talents to an unforgettable performance.

TUESDAY’S CHILDREN (www.tuesdayschildren.org) Tuesday’s events saw Yankees players Mariano Rivera, Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes, , Cory Wade and and former Yankees Manager Joe Torre surprise mentors and mentees from Tuesday’s Children, an organization founded to promote healing in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. The Yankees greeted the group at the Beekman Beach Club at the South Street Seaport for lunch, games and a ride on the Delta Baseball Water Taxi. The boat ride took mentors and mentees past the and on to Yankee Stadium, where they were honored by the Yankees as special guests.

HAITIAN REFUGEES OF SS. JOACHIM & ANNE SCHOOL (www.ssjaschool.org) Wednesday’s festivities saw the Yankees host young Haitian earthquake refugees from Ss. Joachim and Anne School for a day game at Yankee Stadium. After the game, Yankees CC Sabathia, and Freddy Garcia and coaches Mike Harkey and Tony Pena joined the children on a Gray Line New York -decker bus tour of Manhattan. Stops included the Empire State Building, where the children participated in a ceremonial lighting of the building, followed by a visit to the observation deck. The trip continued to Times Square, where Derek Jeter surprised everyone by delivering pizzas. The final stop of the day was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where Archbishop Timothy Dolan gave a tour of the building and hosted the children for dessert in his private residence.

MEGAN AJELLO (www.nyso.org) On Thursday, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, as well as Yankees players Robinson Cano, David Robertson, A.J. Burnett, Andruw Jones, Eduardo Nunez and Boone Logan, joined coaches Mick Kelleher, Rob Thomson and Charlie Wonsowicz at 17-year-old Megan Ajello’s charity lemonade stand in . The team, along with actress Melissa Joan Hart, TV’s “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro, the dancers and models Kate Upton, Christine Teigen and Julie Henderson, all helped Megan raise money throughout the day. Food was available for all, music filled the street and a dunk tank was brought in for to dunk Yankees players for charity. Together, Megan and the Yankees raised more than $12,000 for the Special Olympics.

JOHN LAHUTSKY AND ANDREI SULLIVAN Friday’s events saw the surprise reunion of 21-year-old John Lahutsky and 19-year-old Andrei Sullivan, who had not seen each other since 1997, when they were inseparable best friends in an abusive Russian orphanage. They were brought together while visiting the TODAY show at NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center. The pair was given royal treatment on a carriage ride with Yankees Manager Joe Girardi to the Central Park Zoo, where they met up with Yankees players Mark Teixeira and Brett Gardner and Yankees coaches Kevin Long and Larry Rothschild for a tour and outdoor lunch on the grounds.

www.hopeweek.com • 17 2010 HOPE WEEK

JORGE GRAJALES (www.healingthechildren.org) The events of Monday focused on the plight of children around the world who do not have access to medical care. It brought to light Healing the Children, which places these children in local homes so they can receive life-saving treatment. The day’s honorees were teenager Jorge Grajales, who had his hands and feet amputated as an infant in Panama, and his New Jersey foster family, the Dyksens. Yankees players Mariano Rivera, Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner and and Yankees coaches Kevin Long and Mike Harkey surprised Jorge with a pool party in his honor.

JANE LANG (www.theseeingeye.org) On Tuesday, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, players Joba Chamberlain, and David Robertson, and former Yankees player Tino Martinez surprised Yankees superfan Jane Lang, who is blind, at her home in Morristown, New Jersey. They joined her in her two- hour trip to Yankee Stadium, taking the same public transportation route she typically uses when going to games with her guide dog. Once at the Stadium, Jane received a private tour of Monument Park and the presented by Bank of America. She had the chance to hold the trophy as well as one of ’s bats.

MOHAMED KAMARA Wednesday’s festivities saw Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and pitcher CC Sabathia take teenage war refugee Mohamed Kamara, who aspires to be a businessman, on a surprise tour of the after the market rang its opening bell. The Yankees then escorted Mohamed to City Hall, where he was joined by Yankees Derek Jeter, and Curtis Granderson in meeting Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Following their trip to City Hall, the Yankees and Mohamed visited the United Nations, where Shekou M. Touray, permanent representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, spoke with Mohamed and the Yankees in a private meeting before accompanying the group on a tour of the General Assembly Hall.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (www.beautiful-people.us) On Thursday, Yankees players and coaches were paired with children with special needs from the Beautiful People organization. Together the group played a baseball game on the field at Yankee Stadium, which immediately followed the club’s Major League game earlier in the day. Yankee Stadium’s famous “Bleacher Creature” fans remained in the Stadium to cheer on Beautiful People during its game, and the Yankees, the children and their families enjoyed an on-field barbecue catered by Hard Rock Cafe.

JOHANNA AND MELIDA ARIAS (www.women-in-need.org) Friday’s events saw Yankees players Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Ramiro Pena, Francisco Cervelli, and David Robertson and bench coach Tony Pena surprise Melida Arias at her job at Wendy’s in the Bronx. The players then took Melida and her sister, Johanna, on a surprise shopping spree at DKNY in Manhattan to outfit Melida for her freshman year of college and Johanna for future professional opportunities. The Yankees wanted to reward the sisters, who persevered through homelessness to excel at school. At Yankee Stadium that evening, the young women were surprised with paid internships — a medical internship for Johanna at Lincoln Hospital and a 2011 internship with the Yankees for Melida.

18 • www.hopeweek.com 2009 HOPE WEEK

PATCHWORK FOR YOUNG LEADERS SOCIETY The Yankees held their first HOPE Week celebration by reaching out to Marco and Jennifer Chiappetta and their Patchwork for Young Leaders Society. The Chiappettas opened their hearts and home to become mentors to at-risk young people in their Washington Heights neighborhood. Yankees players Mariano Rivera and Robinson Cano and Manager Joe Girardi visited the Chiappettas’ apartment to spend time with the group to talk about working hard and staying on the right path.

TOM ELLENSON (www.ucp.org) The Yankees continued HOPE Week on Tuesday by reaching out to Tom Ellenson, an inspirational Little Leaguer with cerebral palsy, and his father, Richard, who created a device that allows non-verbal individuals like Tom to more easily communicate. Yankees players Alex Rodriguez, Joba Chamberlain and Andy Pettitte and Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long met Tom and his best friends for lunch at a Greenwich Village restaurant, then walked across the street to J.J. Walker Little , where his teammates and other children with cerebral palsy participated in a rally and baseball clinic with Yankees players.

GEORGE AND KIM MURRAY (www.als.org) Wednesday of HOPE Week was spent reaching out to George and Kim Murray. At the time, George was a military veteran who was dealing with the effects of ALS. The team invited the married couple and their son, Trason, to Yankee Stadium for a surprise anniversary party with 40 of their closest family and friends. Yankees players Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Phil Hughes, , , and joined the family for the surprise in a suite at the Stadium. Following the game, the Murrays received a private Stadium tour from Yankees players. Sadly, George lost his battle with ALS shortly after his day at the Stadium.

CAMP SUNDOWN / XERODERMA PIGMENTOSUM SOCIETY (www.xps.org) On Thursday of HOPE Week, the Yankees reached out to children and young adults who have xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), which is an allergy to light. Campers from Camp Sundown, a retreat for those with XP, traveled to Yankee Stadium for a Yankees night game. After the last pitch, the field was transformed into a massive open-air carnival with music, food and children’s entertainers. Campers and their families enjoyed the party with Yankees players and their families until 4 a.m., when campers boarded their buses in order to return home before daybreak. Yankees Jorge Posada, Brett Gardner, A.J. Burnett, and Cody Ransom, along with assistant trainer Steve Donohue and bullpen coach Mike Harkey, all took part.

RANJIT SEAL AND MELVIN WILLIAMS (www.yai.org) On the last day of the first year of HOPE Week, the Yankees reached out to Ranjit Seal and Melvin Williams, who both have developmental disabilities. With the help of YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities, the two young men have integrated into the workforce, having been hired to share mailroom responsibilities at the Manhattan law firm of Ahmuty, Demers and McManus. Yankees players CC Sabathia, and Nick Swisher surprised Ranjit and Melvin at their office and took part in their day, helping them deliver the mail. The firm was celebrated with a lunchtime party catered by Hard Rock Cafe, and later that afternoon, the pair met the Yankee Stadium mailroom staff and put their skills on display by helping deliver mail to players in the Yankees clubhouse.

www.hopeweek.com • 19 n 2014, the Yankees are proud to celebrate the fifth anniversary of HOPE Week, which has become a permanent fixture on the team’s I calendar. Going forward, HOPE Week will continue to bring to light new, deserving causes and stories. It is the Yankees’ dream that other teams and leagues adopt this initiative.

“It’s not how much you can gather; it’s how much you can give. That’s the essence of HOPE Week.” – Jane Lang, 2010 HOPE Week honoree (Pictured with Yankees Manager Joe Girardi)

Lang, who is blind, made the decision a decade ago to expand her life by learning how to make the two-hour, two-train trek from her Morris Plains, New Jersey, home to Yankee Stadium, joined only by her canine companion, Clipper. Now in her 60s, she has made more than 250 trips to Yankee Stadium. Lang serves as an inspiration to anyone feeling bound by circumstance.