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SWB Yankees & Rochester Red Wings Hope Week Events

August 6, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees News Release


ROCHESTER, NY - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and Rochester Red Wings have shared the Red Wings home stadium of Frontier Field during the 2012 season with the Yankees spending their entire season playing outside of Northeast Pennsylvania while their home stadium undergoes $43.3 million worth of renovations.

On August 8th and 9th, the Yankees and the Red Wings will join forces during HOPE Week (Helping Others Persevere & Excel). Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Rochester will host Challenger Little League Teams on August 8th from Greece and Fairport, with players from both teams as well as the coaching staffs from the Yankees and Red Wings providing assistance to the athletes competing in a special game at Frontier Field.

On August 9th, Yankees and Red Wings players will host a pair of baseball clinics for the Rochester Boys and Girls Club and Rochester Hispanic Youth Baseball, teaching baseball fundamentals to both groups. Following each of the events all of the participants will have the opportunity to have lunch with players and coaches from both teams and get autographs from their favorite Yankees and Red Wings. "The Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester is honored to be part of Hope Week," said Dwayne Mahoney, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester. "The opportunity for our club members to meet members of the Rochester Red Wings and Yankees is a dream come true. They also will learn about the importance of giving back to their community as they participate and witness the many volunteer efforts associated with Hope Week. "

HOPE Week was introduced in 2009 by the New York Yankees and is rooted in the fundamental belief that acts of goodwill provide hope and encouragement to more than just the recipient of the gesture. The model was expanded in 2012 to include each of the Yankees five minor league affiliates to reach out to individuals, families and organizations worthy of support with a day celebrating their accomplishments.

"As an organization, we have seen firsthand the positive impact HOPE Week has made in our community," said Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman. "We've found that giving back is contagious. One of the goals of the initiative has been to inspire others to follow in our footsteps, and I'm proud that our affiliates are expanding this tradition by joining our efforts."

In 2011, the Minnesota Twins became the second Major League organization to begin annual HOPE Week events. The unique situation of the 2012 season, with Rochester hosting the Yankees for 38 games at Frontier Field, provided a great opportunity for the Red Wings to participate in the annual event.

"Baseball has a vibrant role in the community beyond just the playing of games, whether it's Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball, and the Twins are excited to see Hope Week extend to our affiliate in Rochester," said Twins General Manager Terry Ryan. "We applaud the Red Wings' efforts as goodwill ambassadors to provide hope and encouragement in their community."

The HOPE Week events at Frontier Field will certainly be one of the most unique events in all of minor league baseball during the 2012 season. The Yankees and Red Wings will set aside their rivalry on the field during the day to host the HOPE Week events during the day before playing the third and fourth games of a four game series with 7:05 PM scheduled pitches each night.

"In this truly unique season at Frontier Field we are proud to be able to join forces with the Yankees to create some incredible, once in a lifetime experiences and memories for some youngsters in our community. I can't think of another hand's on community initiative that two International League rivals have ever worked together on in my tenure with the Red Wings. It's extremely rewarding to have both teams join forces to give back to our community, adding one more unique twist to this historic season at Frontier Field," said Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason.

2012 SWB YANKEES AND ROCHESTER RED WINGS HOPE WEEK PARTICIPANTS:

Boys and Girls Clubs of Rochester:

The mission of the Boys and Girls Clubs is to inspire and enable young people of all backgrounds to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. The Boys & Girls Club of Rochester provides youth development programs that enable young people to acquire the skills and qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders.

Empowered with these positive developmental experiences and opportunities, Boys & Girls Club members have continually demonstrated their ability to overcome negative, failure-oriented environments and move towards fulfilling their dreams. Since its inception, the Boys & Girls Club Movement has provided mentoring and leadership specifically designed to change the lives of youth who face daily challenges such as poverty, broken homes, crime, unemployment, prejudice and difficulties in school.

Challenger Little League:

The Challenger Division was established in 1989 as a separate division of Little League to enable boys and girls with physical and mental challenges, ages 4-18, or up to age 22 if still enrolled in high school, to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide. Today, more than 30,000 children participate in more than 900 Challenger Divisions worldwide.

Teams are set up according to abilities, rather than age, and can include as many as 15-20 players. Challenger games can be played as tee ball games, coach pitch, player pitch, or a combination of the three. One of the benefits is that it encourages the use of "buddies" for the Challenger players. The buddies assist the Challenger players on the field, but whenever possible, encourage the players to bat and make plays by themselves. However, the buddy is always nearby to help when needed.

Rochester Hispanic Youth Baseball League:

Founded in 1996 the Rochester Hispanic Youth Baseball League seeks to prepare our youth to create awareness of the dangers of the street environment as well as administering values and principles through the Hispanic and other cultures which will create the betterment of their educational and citizenship qualities in the pursuit of a multicultural society. The mission of RHYBL is to create a mechanism by which we can enhance the lives of our inner-city Hispanic youth and their families in the Rochester community through baseball rule tactics, sponsorship, volunteerism and parental involvement with something that our Hispanic youth can call their own.

The RHYBL's goal is to administer outreach and encourage 150 - 200 youth to play baseball. Young people who face adverse obstacles to succeed, coming from and/or living in the densely Hispanic populated inner-city, low to moderate income areas. Recognizing and using city/neighborhood resources to maximize their academic potential when required.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES AND ROCHESTER RED WINGS HOPE WEEK SCHEDULE

August 8, 2012 - Challenger Little League Game: Greece vs. Fairport

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Game on Frontier Field

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Post game lunch and meet and greet with Yankees and Red Wings Players

7:05 PM: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees vs. Rochester Red Wings

August 9, 2012 - Baseball Clinics at Frontier Field

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Baseball Clinic with Rochester Hispanic Youth Baseball League

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch and meet and greet with Yankees and Red Wings Players

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Baseball Clinic with Boys and Girls Clubs of Rochester

7:05 PM: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees vs. Rochester Red Wings

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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