Though born without hands and feet, Landis Sims persevered in his dream of playing baseball, making his Indiana high school baseball team. To celebrate his accomplishments and for being an inspiration to others, the Yankees hosted Landis Sims and other limb-deficient athletes from the Challenged Athletes Foundation on the field at Yankee Stadium for baseball instruction and batting practice.
Blue Chips is an NYPD co-ed youth mentoring and sports program that focuses on bridging the gap between police officers and young people throughout New York City, using sports and education to guide kids down a better path. To celebrate Blue Chips participants, the Yankees visited the NYPD Academy in Queens to spend time with mentors and mentees.
Adam Israel, who started the Letters of Hope for Ukraine initiative, has delivered thousands of handwritten letters of hope and encouragement along with needed supplies and donations to displaced Ukrainian refugees in Poland and at the Ukraine border. To honor him and those suffering in the war, the Yankees surprised Adam, his family and a refugee family he has personally assisted in the U.S. at Ukrainian restaurant Veselka in Manhattan, having lunch together and writing letters that were delivered to those in need.
You Gotta Believe is a nonprofit that works to find permanent families for children aging out of foster care so they have the support system they need to live safely and reach their highest potential. To celebrate the organization’s life-changing work and hear their stories, Yankees GM Brian Cashman and Yankees players held a picnic for You Gotta Believe families at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
In the depths of the COVID pandemic, Pennsylvania native Dan Reischel embarked on a project to play catch with 162 people to reestablish relationships and personal connections through the game he loves. The Yankees hosted Dan in centerfield at Yankee Stadium as he played his 162nd game of catch with his father, Frank, who inspired his love of baseball. They were joined by Dan’s wife and children along with local youth baseball players, who all played catch with Yankees players, including Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole. The group then had a private tour of Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park and the Yankees Museum presented by Bank of America.
HOPE Week has been the subject many local, national and international news stories since its inception. Here is a small selection of highlights from over the years:
