Yankees, Santa hit the stage to bring holiday cheer to Tampa youth

Photos courtesy New York Yankees

The Yankees traded their pinstripes for holiday cheer this week, transforming two of Tampa Bay’s marquee theatres into winter wonderlands with appearances from Aaron Judge, Aaron Boone and -- of course -- Santa Claus.

Judge and his wife, Samantha, opened the festivities on Wednesday at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Fla., where they recited the classic poem, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas."

“It’s what it’s all about,” Judge told the YES Network. “I’ve got a pretty rewarding job, getting a chance to go out and suit up for the Yankees every single day. But getting a chance to come out here and to see the excitement in a lot of kids … everything that’s around the holiday spirit is something special and means so much to me.”

Recently named the American League’s Most Valuable Player for the third time in four seasons, Judge was joined on stage by The Florida Orchestra, Ballet Theatre International and Santa.

“You get to see them singing along with everything; they know all the songs,” Judge said. “You see the joy in their faces, the excitement in their faces. It means a lot to me. I was pretty excited when the Steinbrenners asked me to come out here. It’s a joy.”

On Thursday, the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family hosted the second show of their 36th annual Children’s Holiday Concert Series at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Fla., where Boone took a turn reading “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

“It’s really great,” Boone said. “I’m obviously thrilled to come down here and to see these kids that might not get to see a show like this. I know I don’t even get to see a show like this, typically. To see the different talents of the musicians and the dancers, centered around the holidays, it’s really cool. It’s very meaningful, and I know it’s really meaningful for the Steinbrenner family.”

The cheer will continue Friday at Tinker Elementary School on MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, where students and music teachers from Hillsborough County Schools are scheduled to sing holiday carols with Santa. Yankees Minor League infielder Duncan Pastore will read the poem.

The Children’s Holiday Concert Series was created by George M. Steinbrenner to spread holiday cheer to underserved and at-risk children in the Tampa Bay area. This year's free and private performances are expected to be attended by more than 5,000 students from third through fifth grade in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

“My parents had a love of the arts as well as sports, as we all know,” said Yankees general partner and chairperson Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal. “This was a great way to give back during the holiday season and make the world more joyful for everybody. Our whole Yankee organization feels strongly about our players and the families giving back to the world to make it a better place.”

Following each concert, members of the Steinbrenner family -- helped by members of the Hillsborough County and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Offices, celebrity participants and Santa Claus -- present each child in attendance with a special holiday gift bag.

“How [the Yankees have] laid the foundation here in Tampa has been so special, going back to their father, the Boss, who started all this and had such a passion for the kids and giving back to the community,” Judge said. “It’s pretty cool to see them continue this legacy.”