Erika Rech, a sophomore at the Villanova University School of Business, is the Yankees’ winner of Major League Baseball’s Honorary Bat Girl program that recognizes baseball fans – one for each of the 30 clubs – who have been affected by breast cancer and show a commitment to the fight against the disease.

Erika will throw out the ceremonial first pitch Sunday at Yankee Stadium as well as bring the lineup card to the plate prior to the 1:05 p.m. Mother’s Day pairing of the Yankees and Mariners.

Rech was 15 years old when her mother was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Six months later, her aunt was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. A second aunt was diagnosed soon after. Erika wanted to make a difference to women struggling with breast cancer and, with her cousin, started the charity Breast Intentions. (www.breastintentions.org).

Erika has worked the past four years to build her charity and raise money for women who are struggling financially while at the lowest point in their lives. Her charity has raised more than $500,000, which has all gone back to patients in need. She has expanded her charity to New York, Georgia, Massachusetts, Illinois and Connecticut.

In 2011, Rech paid the following for patients in need: 13 mortgage payments, 8 medication payments,11 co-pays, 21 electric bills, 14 gas bills, 2 sewer bills, 8 phone bills, 7 cable bills, 4 water bills, 18 rent payments, 1 maintenance fee, 5 car payments, 1 car repair bill, 2 garbage bills, 2 tax bills, 2 health insurance premiums, 2 car insurance premiums, 1 MRI, purchased a wheelchair, purchased groceries/gift cards for 12 patients, purchased gas cards for 16 patients, purchased holiday gifts for 2 families, purchased college text books for 1 family, purchased a microwave for 1 family, purchased flowers for 1 family, arranged for lawn mowing service for 1 patient and provided transportation from surgery for 1 patient.

Erika is one of the 30 winners who will take part in pre-game activities, be honored during an on-field ceremony and receive pink MLB merchandise and two tickets to the game. Winners were selected by a guest judging panel that includes MLB players and celebrities in addition to fan votes casted on HonoraryBatGirl.com.

The panel included Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton, whose mom is a breast cancer survivor; Braves outfielder Jason Heyward, whose aunt passed away from lung cancer; Angels infielder Howie Kendrick, whose best friend’s mom is a breast cancer survivor; and Giants pitcher Barry Zito, whose mother was affected by cancer. Also on the panel was MLB Network host Chris Rose, who has several close friends who have been affected by the disease; international soccer star Mia Hamm, supporter of the Honorary Girl Initiative with her husband, former player and current ESPN analyst Nomar Garciaparra, whose grandmother passed away from breast cancer; actor James Denton of Desperate Housewives, who lost his mother to breast cancer.

Nine-time Grammy award winner Bonnie Raitt, who lost her brother and close friends to cancer, recorded a special video at the MLB Fan Cave to lend support to the Honorary Bat Girl initiative and the ongoing fight to eradicate the disease.

Also on Mother’s Day, hundreds of MLB players will use pink bats by Louisville Slugger stamped with the MLB breast cancer awareness logo. To demonstrate further their support for the breast cancer cause, players and on-field personnel will wear the symbolic pink ribbon on uniforms along with pink wrist bands. Commemorative dugout lineup cards also will be pink.

The Honorary Bat Girl contest was introduced in 2009 to raise awareness and support for the annual Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer initiative created by MLB in 2006 and celebrated each Mother’s Day. Game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats from Mother’s Day games that are authenticated by MLB will be auctioned exclusively on MLB.com to benefit cancer research.