Healthy Lifestyles
The Yankees unveiled their first-ever Tower Garden at Yankee Stadium in late May of 2022. The structure, located inside the stadium¡¯s Gate 2 entrance, uses the vertical, aeroponic garden system of Tower Gardens, allowing for the growth of healthy, fresh produce that requires minimal resources. In addition, the garden is used to provide a hands-on learning experience for students taking part in the ¡°New York Yankees Healthy Home Plate Program,¡± which the team has been proudly conducting since 2011. Items grown in the garden are served in select menu items, most notably in salads found at Yankee Stadium ¡°grab-and-go¡± locations.
The New York Yankees and Legends Hospitality partner to implement/host the Healthy Home Plate Program at Yankee Stadium. The Healthy Home Plate Program provides area youth with the opportunity to participate in a program focused on the importance of preparing affordable, healthy meals and incorporating these meals into their lifestyle. Kitchens located within Yankee Stadium become classrooms, where sous chefs engage youth with hands-on cooking demonstrations.
As part of programming in 2023, young people from South Bronx United and SCAN-Harbor, Inc. ¡ª two Bronx based nonprofit organizations¡ª took part in a series of hands-on cooking demonstrations at Yankee Stadium led by Legends Senior Executive Chef, Matt Gibson. Each participant also received a bag filled with provisions to prepare the demonstrated healthy meals at home after each session. The youth participants were then treated to a day at Yankee stadium for the Yankees-Nationals game on August 24th.
The Yankees teamed up with Fans for the Cure, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Montefiore Einstein to help save the lives of their fans and employees from prostate cancer during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Prior to and during the Yankees-Blue Jays game on September 20, 2023, fans, media members and employees were offered free PSA blood tests to screen for prostate cancer at a designated area in the stadium. This was the 12th screening collaboration between the Yankees and Fans for the Cure.
Health and wellness, as well as grassroots engagement with local communities within the Bronx, are pillars of the Yankees¡¯ Diversity & Inclusion Committee¡¯s ongoing focus. As part of the organization¡¯s commitment to Bronx-based individuals, the Yankees and the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club partnered on the ¡°Fueling our Future¡± youth initiative that targets underserved communities. On July 20th and August 17th, 2023, area youth visited Yankee Stadium and were provided with the resources necessary to promote health and wellness and were positioned to excel in the classroom, on the field/court and in life in general.
In total, approximately 30 program participants from Kips Bay Boys and Girls club were exposed to informative and interactive speaking engagements that featured elements related to working in sports with Yankees front office staff members and making healthy food choices with NYC Local Chef Shaw-nae Dixon and Legends Senior Executive, Matt Gibson. In addition, all program participants and staff were invited to and enjoyed the Yankees-Nationals game on August 24th.
The Yankees partnered with the Green Bronx Machine in support of their efforts throughout the Bronx. Green Bronx Machine builds healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development. Their school-based model uses urban agriculture aligned to key school performance indicators to grow healthy students and healthy schools and transform communities that are fragmented and marginalized into neighborhoods that are inclusive and thriving.