Results tagged ‘ YES Network ’
Women empowering women at Stadium
The women of Yankee Stadium joined forces with Same Sky to honor the HIV-positive women artisans who have hand-crafted bracelets through its trade-not-aid initiative to affect change in Rwanda.
Founded in 2008, Same Sky is a fair-trade company whose mission is to inspire a movement of women empowering women as part of the global effort of lifting women out of poverty by giving them tools to become entrepreneurs and lead self-sustaining lives. The bracelets are made of hand-blown glass beads and crocheted by women artisans. Each bracelet carries the signature of the woman who made it.
Thanks to the women of Yankee Stadium, Same Sky expanded its facilities in Rwanda and now embraces the women of the Abataka Collective in Lusaka, Zambia. The new lighter, thinner Prosperity bracelets are intricately crocheted and made of delicate seed beads on a stretchy cord.
Friday night’s event in the H&R Block Suite Club was hosted by Safe Sky founder Francine LeFrak, Yankees assistant general manager Jean Afterman and Mindy Franklin Levine of Women of the New York Yankees organization, Legends Hospitality, the YES Network and Securitas to bring awareness to this cause.
“The Yankees’ brand is a global brand,” Ackerman said. “We can bring attention to this effort. We don’t think of it as a traditional fund-raiser. The goal is for this program to be self-sustaining. It’s great to see [team president] Randy Levine and [general manager] Brian Cashman wearing the colored bracelets.”
Funds collected from the sale of the bracelets are used to pay the salaries of the women who make them, which rose in one year from 34 to 75. More information about the movement is available at http://www.samesky.com.
YU members enjoy special event
More than 400 Yankees Universe members of the Champion and MVP levels attended a special event in the Great Hall at Yankee Stadium Tuesday and got a chance to meet general manager Brian Cashman and other Yankees celebrities.
Cashman was joined by former Yankees stars Jeff Nelson and Charlie Hayes, assistant general manager Jean Afterman, YES Network analyst John Flaherty and WCBS radio announcer Suzyn Waldman for the 90-minute autograph and photo session.
It was the first of four events scheduled for this season. The others will be Aug. 23, Aug. 24 and Sept. 6. Events are open to Yankees Universe members on the MVP and Champion levels.
Gates for Sunday’s Old Timers’ Day open at 10 a.m.
Fans planning to attend Sunday’s 65th annual Old Timers’ Day are encouraged to get to Yankee Stadium early. Gates will open at 10 a.m. with the Old Timers’ Day ceremonies to start at 11:30 a.m., followed by the traditional, two-inning Old Timers’ Day game. The regularly scheduled inter-league game between the Yankees and the Rockies will have a first pitch of 2:20 p.m. The entire day’s activities will be cablecast on the YES Network.
Bernie Williams and former managers Lou Piniella and Joe Torre will be making their Old Timers’ Day debuts. “Sweet Lou” will be putting on a Yankees uniform for the first time since 1988. Torre, whose Yankees teams defeated Piniella’s Seattle Mariners in the 2000 and 2001 post-seasons, is still active in the game as Major League Baseball’s vice president for baseball operations.
They will be among 50 former Yankees on hand for the ceremonies. Other headliners among returning Old Timers will be Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson and Goose Gossage, plus the perfect game trio of Don Larsen, David Wells and David Cone. The Yankees will also hold a special tribute honoring long-time team trainer Gene Monahan, who will retire at season’s end after 49 years of service to the organization.
In addition, players and coaches from Yankees championship teams of the past will include Dr. Bobby Brown, Jerry Coleman, Moose Skowron, Luis Arroyo, Homer Bush, Brian Doyle, Cecil Fielder, Joe Girardi, Dwight Gooden, Ron Guidry, Charlie Hayes, Graeme Lloyd, Hector Lopez, Tino Martinez, Lee Mazzilli, Ramiro Mendoza, Gene Michael, Jeff Nelson, Graig Nettles, Joe Pepitone, Mickey Rivers, Charlie Silvera, Darryl Strawberry, Mel Stottlemyre and Roy White.
Joining the Hall of Famers and other former Yankees on the baselines will be the widows of five legendary Yankees – Arlene Howard (Elston), Helen Hunter (Jim “Catfish”), Jill Martin (Billy), Diana Munson (Thurman) and Kay Murcer (Bobby).
Bernie an Old Timer? He will be June 26th
Are you ready to consider Bernie Williams an old timer? Well, get used to it. Bernabe will make his first appearance on Old Timers’ Day when Yankees alumni gather for the 65th annual event Sunday, June 26, at Yankee Stadium.
Also making their Old Timers’ Day debuts will be former managers Lou Piniella and Joe Torre. “Sweet Lou” will be putting on a Yankees uniform for the first time since 1988. Torre, whose Yankees teams defeated Piniella’s Seattle Mariners in the 2000 and 2001 post-seasons, is still active in the game as Major League Baseball’s vice president for baseball operations.
They will be among 50 former Yankees on hand for the ceremonies that begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by the traditional, two-inning Old Timers’ game. The current Yankees will play the Colorado Rockies in an inter-league game starting at 2 p.m. The entire day’s activities will be aired exclusively on the YES Network.
Other headliners among returning Old Timers will be Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson and Goose Gossage, plus the perfect game trio of Don Larsen, David Wells and David Cone. The Yankees will also hold a special tribute honoring long-time team trainer Gene Monahan, who will retire at season’s end after 49 years of service to the organization.
In addition, other players and coaches from Yankees championship teams of the past will include Dr. Bobby Brown, Jerry Coleman, Moose Skowron, Luis Arroyo, Homer Bush, Brian Doyle, Cecil Fielder, Joe Girardi, Dwight Gooden, Ron Guidry, Charlie Hayes, Graeme Lloyd, Hector Lopez, Lee Mazzilli, Ramiro Mendoza, Gene Michael, Jeff Nelson, Graig Nettles, Joe Pepitone, Mickey Rivers, Charlie Silvera, Darryl Strawberry, Mel Stottlemyre and Roy White.
Joining the Hall of Famers and other former Yankees on the baselines will be the widows of five legendary Yankees – Arlene Howard (Elston), Helen Hunter (Jim “Catfish”), Jill Martin (Billy), Diana Munson (Thurman) and Kay Murcer (Bobby).
Yankees women get involved
Yankee Stadium may seem an odd place to hold a reception for a support group honoring the survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide until you hear Agnes Gasana speak about the Yankees.
“Of course, we know who they are,” she said. “My boys are Yankees fans. It’s a global team. My daughter now has a Yankees t-shirt.”
She is the wife of Eugene-Richard Gasana, the Rwandan Ambassador to the United Nations. Son Ivan Kagame was with her Wednesday evening in the H&R Block Lounge on the Suite Level where the women of Yankee Stadium joined forces with Same Sky to honor the HIV-positive women artisans who have hand-crafted bracelets through its trade-not-aid initiative to affect change in Rwanda.
“It’s great to showcase our cause to the world and help support the organization,” Kagame said. “It gives us some dignity and show that we are working toward something. Everybody watches the Yankees.”
Founded in 2008, Same Sky is a fair-trade company whose mission is to inspire a movement of women empowering women as part of the global effort of lifting women out of poverty by giving them tools to become entrepreneurs and lead self-sustaining lives. The bracelets are made of hand-blown glass beads and crocheted by women artisans. Each bracelet carries the signature of the woman who made it.
The event was hosted by Safe Sky founder Francine LeFrak, Yankees assistant general manager Jean Afterman, Mindy Franklin Levine and Sadye Zillo of Women of the New York Yankees organization, Legends Hospitality, the YES Network and Securitas to bring awareness to this cause. This was not some old-fashioned Ladies Day turnout.
“The Yankees’ brand is a global brand,” Ackerman said. “We can bring attention to this effort. We don’t think of it as a traditional fund-raiser. The goal is for this program to be self-sustaining. It’s great to see [team president] Randy Levine and [general manager] Brian Cashman wearing the colored bracelets. The organization brought some black bracelets for the men. It’s good to see them come out of their shell.”
“This is a dream come true,” LeFrak said. “It is our mission at Same Sky to give our artisans the freedom to make these choices. We aim to provide these women with a reliable income that will lead to independence, economic empowerment and hope for a better future. This is about empowering women. The women with the Yankees are all about empowerment.”
“That comes from Mr. [George] Steinbrenner,” Afterman said. “He used to tell people that he was a sexist, yet he was always interesting in hiring the best people, many of whom were women. When I first came here, I was really impressed with how many women were in key positions.”
Many of those women were proudly displaying bracelets Wednesday night. More information about the movement is available at http://www.samesky.com.
Jack O'Connell
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