As Thanksgiving week continues, the NY Yankees are once again showing their connection to the Bronx goes far beyond baseball.
Last week, the organization partnered with SCAN-Harbor (Supportive Children’s Advocacy Network) to host a Thanksgiving meal for hundreds of local residents at the Rev. T. Wendell Foster Park and Recreation Center.
Yankees staff members and Legends Global employees helped serve a complete holiday feast, creating a space where families could sit down together and enjoy a warm meal without the usual stresses of the season.
While Yankee Stadium is typically surrounded by crowds, music, and game-day energy at least 81 nights a year, this event reflected a different—but equally meaningful—side of the franchise. Instead of scoreboards and statistics, the focus was on community, access, and shared responsibility.
Brian Smith, the Yankees’ Senior Vice President of Corporate and Community Relations, explained the broader mission behind the effort. “It’s about being a productive member of the community,” Smith said. “That’s what this all comes down to—working with our neighbors and combining resources with our community-based partners to generate access.”
The Thanksgiving meal was just one stop in a larger season-long initiative. On Monday, November 24, the Bronx Bombers teamed up with Krasdale Foods for their annual Thanksgiving Food Voucher Giveaway outside Yankee Stadium.
Approximately 4,000 vouchers, each valued at $25, were distributed at Gates 2 and 8. The vouchers can be redeemed at participating C-Town and Bravo supermarkets throughout the Bronx, allowing families to shop locally for their holiday meals.
Community outreach will continue well past Thanksgiving. Later this season, the Bronx Clergy will partner with the Yankees for a holiday food drive at the stadium, collecting donations to support soup kitchens and food pantries across the borough.
“You need partners like that to put together a community All-Star team,” Smith noted. “That’s how you drive real access.”
December also brings the Yankees’ annual Winter Wonderland event, where more than 6,000 local children will receive a toy and a meal at Yankee Stadium. In addition, a holiday pop-up food distribution is planned, and manager Aaron Boone is scheduled to join a toy distribution event with the NYPD’s 44th Precinct just ahead of Christmas.
These efforts align with the Yankees’ Diversity and Inclusion Committee, established to address systemic inequities and expand opportunity throughout the Bronx and greater New York City.