At least 81 dates a year -- and ideally, more – the streets around Yankee Stadium are packed with game-day noise. But it’s nights like this, when the Yankees show up without a scoreboard or box score attached, that reflect their real connection to the Bronx.
This past Friday, the organization and Legends Global staff members provided and served meals for several hundred local residents at a Thanksgiving feast hosted by SCAN-Harbor (Supportive Children’s Advocacy Network) at the Rev. T. Wendell Foster Park and Recreation Center.
Tables were packed, turkey and trimmings were hot and families from the community enjoyed an evening when they didn’t need to worry about anything except enjoying a meal together.
“It’s about being a productive member of the community,” said Brian Smith, the Yankees’ Senior Vice President of Corporate/Community Relations. “That’s what this all comes down to, to work with our neighbors and combine resources with our community-based partners to generate access. That means the world.”
This event continues the Yankees' long-standing commitment to anchor themselves in their neighborhood, especially during the holiday season.
On Monday, the Yankees and Krasdale Foods held their annual Thanksgiving Food Voucher Giveaway at Yankee Stadium’s Gates 2 and 8, distributing approximately 4,000 $25 food vouchers that can be redeemed at participating Bronx-based C-Town and Bravo Supermarkets.
The organization’s outreach doesn’t stop with Thanksgiving. The Bronx Clergy will partner for a holiday food drive at Yankee Stadium, collecting supplies for various soup kitchens and food pantries throughout the Bronx.
“You need partners like that to put together a community All-Star team, to drive change and access,” Smith said.
On Dec. 12, the Yankees will hold their Winter Wonderland at the Stadium, an event where more than 6,000 local youths can pick out a toy and receive a meal.
A holiday pop-up food distribution is also on deck. And Yankees manager Aaron Boone is scheduled to participate in a toy distribution event with the New York Police Department's 44th Precinct just before Christmas.
“It shows that level of commitment throughout our organization,” Smith said. “Our ownership displays that priority of giving back, our on-field personnel displays that priority, and throughout the front office. When you have that organization-wide commitment, it makes a huge difference.”