New York Yankees Hope Week

On Monday, June 17, 2019, the New York Yankees will kick off their annual HOPE Week. This will be the tenth anniversary of the program that Helps Others Persevere & Excel.

On each day of HOPE Week, the Yankees will spotlight different individuals, families, or organizations that is worthy of recognition and support. According to the Yankee website, “Each day is designed so honorees can share their inspirational stories with Yankee players, fans, and the media, while being surprised with the day of their dreams.”

I wanted to find out more about HOPE Week, so I reached out to the Yankees organization to ask a few questions. Lauren Moran, Assistant Director, Baseball Information, was awesome in answering my questions.

Me:  How was HOPE Week started?

Lauren Moran:  The original conversations for the HOPE Week initiative began in 2008, but most of the planning took place in the weeks leading up to the inaugural HOPE Week in July of 2009.  The Yankees knew they wanted to do something unique to highlight incredible members of the community who were doing great things for others, but weren’t necessarily getting the recognition they deserved.  In the position the Yankees are in, we knew we had the platform to help these organizations reach people all over the world. Knowing that we didn’t want to limit the recognition to just one individual or group, we decided that a week-long initiative would be perfect.

Me:  Is there anything special for the 10th Anniversary of HOPE Week?

LM:  Our 11th annual HOPE Week, which is running from June 17-21, will kick off with a special 10th anniversary reunion for all of our prior honorees on Monday.  We have more than 200 alumni expected to attend and we are going to treat them to a full day at the ballpark. We’ll have carnival-style games on the field for them during the day, lunch catered by Hard Rock Cafe, tours of Monument Park and the Yankees Museum, an on-field pregame ceremony and finally the Yankees vs. Rays game that evening.  We’ve held a reunion for past honorees each season since 2010, which has already led to honorees teaming up and collaborating with one another on additional events of their own. We are really looking forward to all of our HOPE Week alumni having the opportunity to spend a full day getting to know one another!

Me:  I read that the Minnesota Twins have implemented HOPE Week, have any other teams, or sports franchises starter their own version?

LM:  Several other teams have launched their own versions of HOPE Week, though they may not all call it by that name.  The Minnesota Twins were the first (they call it HOPE Week), but I believe the Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves also have similar initiatives.  We have also heard about companies outside of sports, as well as colleges and schools being inspired to create their own outreach programs.

When HOPE Week was established in 2009, one of the goals was to convey the idea that every person can make a difference – no matter where someone comes from or what kind of skills he or she possesses. Everyone has the ability to devote time to give back.  At the start of the 2014-15 school year, Principal Robert Gardella of the Southern Boulevard School in Chatham Township, New Jersey, embraced that core concept and adapted HOPE Week as its own. Principal Gardella, along with the school’s Parent Teacher Organization, wanted to reorganize the school’s service projects by taking inspiration from the Yankees’ HOPE Week.

Throughout the week of Nov. 17-21, 2014, kindergartners created weekend snack kits for low-income children who participate in the free lunch program. First-graders made care packages with essentials like diapers, baby wipes and other toiletries for infants from disadvantaged families in the local community. Second-graders were tasked with making no-sew fleece blankets for Project Linus, an organization that provides blankets for children in need, whether it’s from illness, homelessness or abuse. Third-graders made “Holiday Hope Chests,” which consisted of decorated shoe boxes filled with small toys and art supplies which were distributed to children in local shelters during the holiday season.

The school also encouraged students to apply the HOPE Week sentiment at home by seeking out items that could be donated to different causes. They created “Caring Corners” in the school, where students could bring in items to donate. One corner benefitted Jersey Coats, which assists families with coats during the cold winter months. Students also collected pennies for the Pennies of Peace program, which provides school supplies for children in impoverished communities overseas. The participation in this program is designed to broaden students’ horizons by teaching them about the impact they can make on a global scale.

By getting everyone involved ─ from the office staff, to the teachers, to the students and their families ─ the Southern Boulevard School used inspiration from the Yankees to show their students the internal rewards that come from making a difference in the lives of others.  The Southern Boulevard School was selected as a Yankees HOPE Week honoree in 2015.

Me:  How many non-profit organizations have benefited from HOPE Week?

LM:  It’s hard to put an accurate count beyond “hundreds” because we have so many organizations being helped outside of our traditional HOPE Week at the Major League level.  HOPE Week has been running in New York since 2009 and we average five honorees per year. This March, the Yankees recognized an individual or organization from the Tampa area during spring training for the ninth straight year.  Additionally, the 2019 season marks the eighth year that all of the organization’s U.S.-based minor league affiliates will hold their own HOPE Weeks, allowing the initiative to reach five additional cities and touch more than two dozen additional individuals and groups.

Me:  Any other fun or interesting facts about HOPE Week?

LM:  Since the start of HOPE Week in 2009, the Yankees have gone 33-13 (.717) during the event…they went 3-1 in 2018 and have won 21 of their last 26 games during HOPE Week.

(That doesn’t add up to 50 because we have had a few times we’ve honored a group on a team off day.)

Here are some of the organizations that the Yankees have honored during previous HOPE Weeks—one for each year.

2009:  Patchwork for Young Leaders Society

2010:  Beautiful People

2011:  Tuesday’s Children Mentorship Program

2012:  Children’s Alopecia Project

2013:  Stand for the Silent

2014:  Career Gear

2015:  Prospector Theater

2016:  Barbershop Books

2017:  Comedy Kids

2018:  Think Kindness

For more information about HOPE Week, click here.