Yankees Celebrate 10 Years Of HOPE Week

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone with Gigi's Playhouse Tampa members on Friday night. @Yankees.

The Yankees are celebrating the 10th anniversary of HOPE Week (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) in 2019, and they recently announced the return of the community event for the 11th consecutive season.


The award-winning initiative is a unique week-long community program that brings to light remarkable stories intended to inspire individuals into action in their own communities.

HOPE Week 2019 will take place in the New York area from Monday, June 17 through Friday, June 21.

In honor of the event’s 10th anniversary, all past honorees will be invited to a reunion at Yankee Stadium on June 17. Over each of the following four days, the Yankees will reach out to an individual, family or organization worthy of recognition and support, surprising honorees with a day celebrating their accomplishments. Outreach will often take place away from Yankee Stadium, allowing the Yankees to personally connect with individuals in settings that highlight their greatest successes.

This year’s event will mark 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.

HOPE Week is rooted in the fundamental belief that acts of goodwill provide hope and encouragement to more than just the recipient of the gesture. Fans can learn more about the initiative and nominate inspirational individuals for HOPE Week recognition by visiting the official website at hopeweek.com.

The Yankees commemorated the HOPE Week announcement on Friday night at Steinbrenner Field, before the Yankees took on Detroit, by honoring is GiGi’s Playhouse Tampa, a non-profit organization available to serve the nearly 3,400 individuals of all ages living with Down syndrome living in Florida’s Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

This is the ninth straight year that the Yankees have recognized an individual or organization from the Tampa area during spring training.

Gigi's Playhouse Tampa Opened in August 2018, the center offers programs specifically tailored to the learning styles of those with Down syndrome, taught by volunteers in the education and therapeutic fields. These programs are free-of-cost to the families being served.

The nationwide GiGi’s Playhouse organization strives to foster a community atmosphere for individuals with Down syndrome and their families, providing those involved with the chance to grow their knowledge and skills in a safe and anxiety-free environment.

To get involved with GiGi’s Playhouse Tampa or for more information, please visit gigisplayhouse.org/tampa or call 813-544-8000.