Yankees HOPE Week

HOPE Week was started in 2009. The Yankees said "this event is unique in that every player on the roster, along with Manager Joe Girardi, will participate."[https://web.archive.org/web/20090802084639/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20090716&content_id=5895654&vkey=pr_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy Yankees Introduce Hope Week]

In 2009, the program, which ran from July 20–24, honored a United States Army veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division who lost use of his arms and legs to Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). The veteran and his wife and son were invited to watch batting practice from the field before the game. They were surprised by a party in a suite in Yankee Stadium with several players and their friends and family.[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090721&content_id=5977816&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp HOPE Week makes fan's wish come true]

Several Yankees surprised two men who overcame learning and developmental diseases at their place of work at a law firm in New York, where they are mail room employees.[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090724&content_id=6038944&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy Yankees conclude HOPE Week events] Other Yankees visited a sixth-grade Little Leaguer who has cerebral palsy but helps coach his team.[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090721&content_id=5977794&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy Yanks' visit speaks louder than words][https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/2009-07-21-1032666493_x.htm Yanks' stars show up for community service week] After the July 24th game, the Yankees hosted a nighttime carnival for people from Camp Sundown, which is for those who have Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a rare disease in which the body cannot repair cells damaged by UV light; those affected have to avoid exposure to sunlight.[http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2009/07/video_ny_yankees_host_camp_sun.html Video: NY Yankees host Camp Sundown for sufferers of rare genetic skin disorder] The kids arrived at the game after sundown, but because of a rain delay, the game had not started, so they saw the game and did the event with the Yankees until sunrise.[http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/07/24/2009-07-24_yankees_brighten_night_for_baseball_fans_suffering_from_rare_skin_condition.html Yankees brighten night for baseball fans suffering from rare skin condition]

The 2010 program ran from August 16–20. Manager Joe Girardi visited Jane Lang, a blind woman who attends about 30 Yankees game a season, at her home and invited her to meet the players at that evening's game.{{cite web |title=Touching Lives Instead of Bases (Published 2010) |website=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617100144/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/sports/baseball/18kepner.html |archive-date=2022-06-17 |url-status=live |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/sports/baseball/18kepner.html}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20110311122359/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-08-18/sports/27072902_1_monument-park-joba-chamberlain-clipper New York Yankees accompany Morris Plains, N.J. resident Jane Lang to Stadium during HOPE week] A man from Sierra Leone, who has provided for his family since he was eight, immigrated to the U.S., and received a scholarship to go to college threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game, while a 13-year-old quadruple amputee was thrown a pool party with several Yankees.[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-19/yankees-spread-hope-for-sierra-leone-war-survivor-from-nyse-to-first-pitch.html Yankees Spread Hope for Sierra Leone War Survivor From NYSE to First Pitch]

In 2011, the Yankees held a barbecue with children from Tuesday's Children, an organization that supports children who lost parents on September 11th.[https://www.espn.com/new-york/mlb/columns/story?columnist=darcy_kieran&id=6808185 Yankees HOPE Week makes big splash] Several Yankees (including Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and CC Sabathia) took survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on a tour of New York City and met Archbishop Timothy Dolan.[http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/07/28/new-york-yankees-bring-hope-week-to-cerebral-palsy-patient-on-staten-island/ HOPE Week recipients treated to VIP tour] Other Yankees went to a Broadway performance by a 27-year-old who survived five brain aneurysms.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120808225340/http://espn.go.com/espnw/features-profiles/6809183/daniel-trush-incredible-journey-inspires-hope Daniel Trush's incredible journey inspires hope]

In 2021, 70 year old Gwen Goldman became Honorary Bat Girl for the New York Yankees during HOPE Week after the general manager learned about her rejection to play for the Yankees 60 years ago because she was a girl.{{Cite web|author=Neelam Bohra and Radhika Marya|title=70-year-old woman fulfills her dream of being a bat girl for the Yankees, decades after she was told she'd 'feel out of place in a dugout'|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/29/sport/yankees-bat-girl-gwen-goldman-trnd/index.html|website=CNN}}{{Cite web|title=60 years ago, the Yankees rejected her request to be a bat girl. On Monday, they fulfilled her dream|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gwen-goldman-yankees-bat-girl/|website=www.cbsnews.com}}{{cite web| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/06/28/gwen-goldman-yankees-bat-girl/| title = Yankees make Gwen Goldman a batgirl after 60 years - The Washington Post}}

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Category:New York Yankees