NEW YORK -- In the Yankees' clubhouse, no one is more in tune with the spirit of giving than right-handed reliever Player Page for David Robertson, whose charitable endeavors off the diamond prompted his fellow Major Leaguers to select him as a finalist for the prestigious Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award this season.
Through his charity, High Socks for Hope, Robertson has been actively helping communities in Florida and Texas recover from hurricane devastation. With a stated mission of helping victims of natural disasters and homeless veterans rebuild their homes and their lives, the charity was inspired by a 2011 hurricane that hit Robertson's hometown of Tuscaloosa, Ala.
• Yankees in the community
"Once you see how quickly people's lives are disrupted, you want to try to step in and help as much as you can," Robertson said. "Seeing these latest hurricanes come in, I knew exactly what it was like."
Having been traded in July from the White Sox to the Yankees, it may have been the busiest year ever for High Socks for Hope. The charity mobilized swiftly and effectively, sending truckloads of needed supplies to affected areas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.
"Just seeing the joy and happiness on their faces makes it all worthwhile," Robertson said. "Being able to build somebody a house that wouldn't have been able to, that's an incredible feeling. That's why we kept the charity going; events like this keep happening, and there are always people that need help."
Robertson is actively involved in "Rick's Fund," which honors his wife Erin's late father, Rick, by bringing awareness to pancreatic cancer. Robertson has also raised funds for the family of former White Sox teammate Daniel Webb, who was killed at age 28 in an October ATV accident.
"Daniel was a good friend of mine," Robertson said. "We easily bonded over our love of the outdoors. He left this world way too young, but left us all with lasting memories. He was recently married with a brand new baby, so we started this fund to help with the overwhelming expenses that his wife has been left with."
With Thanksgiving approaching, the Yankees have also been active in the community. The team's annual food voucher giveaway was held last Thursday at Yankee Stadium, with the Yankees and Krasdale Foods teaming up to distribute approximately 2,500 food vouchers to assist Bronx residents in preparing their Thanksgiving meals.
This past Friday, the Yankees, Legends Hospitality and the Supportive Children's Advocacy Network (SCAN) joined forces to host a Thanksgiving feast for several hundred local residents at SCAN-NY's Mullaly Recreation Center in the Bronx, just beyond Yankee Stadium's left-field wall.
SCAN-NY has provided support to thousands of New York City-based at-risk families since 1977. Their mission is to provide these families and children living in East Harlem and the South Bronx with integrated family-focused programming which uses a positive approach to harness self-esteem, initiative and the development of life skills.