teammates in the community

T E A M M AT E S
IN THE
COMMUNITY
The Mets responsibility to give back to the community is driven by Ownership’s topdown philosophy of “Doing Well While Doing Good” to
leverage the appeal of and interest in the Mets to positively impact organizations and individuals through platforms, programs, and initiatives.
The Mets take great pride in our ongoing commitment to the social, cultural and educational needs of the metropolitan area.
Through appearances by players, executives, staff and the use of human and financial resources, the Mets assist many facets of the
community – schools, libraries, hospitals, museums, and youth baseball leagues, to name just a few. The combined effort of our entire
organization, volunteers within the community, and the generosity of Mets sponsors and partners accelerate current significant commitments to
the community with new resources to develop and launch outreach platforms and programs in and beyond New York City.
Education
The Mets support and initiate various educational programs and events, providing the
inspiration, influence and resources to empower students of all ages.
JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION
As part of a landmark partnership, the Mets and Citi have
teamed up to build upon the Mets' longstanding relationship
with the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
This three-way partnership will directly support the
Jackie Robinson Foundation's education and leadership
development program, which provides extensive mentoring
and scholarships for college students who exemplify Jackie's
humanitarian ideals and standard of excellence.
Ten years ago, as a lasting tribute to Robinson, the Mets
established an endowed scholarship with the Foundation,
which are created in perpetuity to assist promising students in
reaching their goals through a college education.
STUDENT ATHLETE LEADERSHIP
CONFERENCE SERIES
The Mets/Sharp Electronics Student Athlete Leadership
Conference Series trains more than 1,200 student-athletes
from 40 high schools on Long Island to promote positive
activities such as sports when delivering drug and alcohol
abuse prevention programming to grade school children.
Based at Molloy College on Long Island, the workshops
prepare the Student Athlete Leaders for their ongoing
visits with fifth graders in their school districts.
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SCHOOL IS AMAZING
School is Amazing, a middle school initiative presented
by health insurer GHI and supported by the NYC
Department of Education, reinforces the benefits of
education and attendance and provides students the
opportunity to express what they most enjoy about their
schools. In addition to a series of player appearances, the
Mets invite 5,000 students throughout the five boroughs to
a game to reward academic excellence or improvement.
POWER LUNCH
The Everybody Wins! Foundation is a leading non-profit
literacy and mentoring organization, pairing caring adult
volunteers with children in elementary schools for weekly
reading and conversation. For the past seven years, Mets
employees have teamed with fourth and fifth graders at
PS 92 in Corona, Queens, to share lunch and a good book
throughout the school year.
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Helping Hands
The Mets are fortunate to be in the position to positively influence so many facets of our
community and enthusiastically embrace that responsibility.
HOLIDAY PARTY
Every December, the Mets turn the
Diamond Club of Shea Stadium into the
North Pole for their annual Holiday Party for
kids. Local school children are treated to
lunch before performing their favorite songs
of the season. This sets the stage for the
entrance of Santa Claus, who bears a striking
resemblance to a Mets player. The day ends
with a gift which was selected and wrapped
by Mets employees.
LET’S GO KIDS!
HealthPlus takes children out to the
ballgame through their "Let's Go Kids!"
ticket program. Youth organizations invited
to Shea Stadium as guests of HealthPlus
receive Mets caps, and a select few get the
chance to step on the field before a game to
meet a Mets player.
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BLOOD DRIVE
The Mets host an annual winter and summer blood drive
for the New York Blood Center in the Diamond Club of
Shea Stadium.
Their 16th year of collaboration
produced a record 256 pints in January and 251 in July.
Each donor receives two tickets to a game.
SPORTS WRAP
Rock and Wrap It Up (RWU) is a non-profit
organization dedicated to the alleviation of hunger.
Their Sports Wrap program is coordinated with the Mets
and Aramark Corporation. Food that has been prepared
but not sold is recovered after each home game,
picked up at the stadium by RWU and delivered to
area shelters.
WINTER WARM-UP
HOLIDAY COAT DRIVE
The Mets and SportsNet New York (SNY) hosted their
2nd annual “Mets Winter Warm-Up Holiday Coat
Drive” in December 2007 in conjunction with New York
Cares. Over 1,700 Mets fans, each of whom receive two
game tickets, have donated almost 3,500 coats over the
past two years.
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Recreation
The Mets host events that are fun for those who participate and promote the value of
exercise, athletics and competition for children and adults.
BIKE TO SHEA
The Department of Transportation and the Mets team up once a year for
Bike to Shea, when riders of all skill levels leave the traffic behind and
travel to Shea Stadium via on-street bicycle lanes and off-street
greenways at a leisurely pace. Once at Shea, free attended bike parking
near the stadium entrance is available.
MAJOR LEAGUE WHEELCHAIR
SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
The United Spinal Mets, a Division I wheelchair softball team sponsored by the United Spinal
Association and the Mets in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and
Recreation, hosts baseball’s only Major League Wheelchair Softball Tournament every
September in the parking lot of Shea Stadium. Teams that participate are affiliated with a Major
League franchise – Magee Phillies, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, RIC Cubs, Vaughn White Sox,
NEPVA Red Sox, Courage Rolling Twins and the Oakland A’s.
MR. MET DASH
After select home games, children ages 12 and under head to the field to run the bases.
Mr. Met is stationed on the field to cheer on the participants as they take the same route as
their favorite Mets players.
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KIDS DAY AT SHEA
The Mets grounds crew, in conjuction with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, hosts an
annual “Kids Day at Shea” for children who are battling or recovering from pediatric
cancer. After helping the crew prepare the field for the game, it’s on to a picnic lunch
before the kids enjoy a baseball clinic with Mets coaches and players.
HENRY VISCARDI SCHOOL
Abilities! is a non-profit agency that is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities
to be active, independent, and self sufficient participants in society. The Henry Viscardi
School (HVS) is an affiliate of Abilities! and one of the nation's foremost institutions for
educating children with severe physical and medical disabilities. HVS serves
approximately 200 students annually in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve.
One of the many ways in which the Mets support their mission is by visiting the
Albertson, LI, school to take on their wiffle ball team.
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Youth Baseball
Teamwork, fitness, leadership and the joy of playing baseball and softball are promoted by the
Mets through initiatives that reach thousands of young people.
GREATER NEW YORK SANDLOT
ATHLETIC ALLIANCE
The Greater New York Sandlot Athletic Alliance (GNYSAA) is “Serving
New York City Children Through Baseball” as an umbrella organization to
several metropolitan amateur baseball groups representing 20,000 young
people and 1,100 teams each year.
The Mets host the GNYSAA’s
annual All-Star Games for 15-16 and 17-18 year old player divisions
and provide financial support to citywide tournaments and programs of
member organizations.
POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE
The Mets and the Police Athletic League (PAL) have been
partners since 1983 in bringing baseball to thousands of New York City
youngsters. In addition to financial support for the Mets Rookie League,
which includes 4,800 boys and girls, the Mets host an annual PAL
All-Star Day and donate thousands of tickets to the PAL’s summer
Playstreet Program.
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EQUIPMENT COLLECTION DRIVE
To support the growth of youth baseball and softball, the Mets have teamed up with the
Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF), a joint initiative of MLB and the MLB Players
Association, to organize an equipment collection drive at Shea Stadium. Bats, gloves,
baseballs and catcher’s gear are collected for distribution to area youth
baseball groups. The BTF contributes a grant of $5,000 to go toward the purchase of
additional equipment.
YMCA JR. METS
The YMCA Jr. Mets, a partnership of the Mets Foundation and the National Grid
Foundation, is an eight-week instructional program in Queens and Brooklyn that
emphasizes the importance of having fun, developing athletic and social skills and
building confidence in kids ages 7-14. The Mets provide members with baseball caps
and tickets to a Mets game.
YOUTH BASEBALL WEEKENDS
The Mets celebrate organized youth baseball and softball programs by coordinating
Youth Baseball Days at Shea throughout the season. Boys and girls can experience the
thrill of walking around the warning track before enjoying the game with
their teammates.
AQUAFINA MLB PITCH, HIT & RUN
Aquafina MLB Pitch, Hit & Run is a free skills competition that provides boys and girls
ages 7-14 the opportunity to showcase their pitching, hitting and running abilities.
Winners advance through four levels of competition, including Team Championship
events at all 30 Major League ballparks and the National Finals at the MLB All-Star Game.
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HARLEM RBI
Harlem RBI is a community-based youth development program in East Harlem which provides year-round academic enrichment and sports programs to over 650 kids ages
7-18. Carlos Beltran is the Honorary Commissioner of Harlem RBI, and with the partnership of the Mets Foundation, has donated $170,000 to the organization since 2006.
The Mets Foundation will once again match his pledge of $500 per RBI for the 2008 season.
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Fundraising
The Mets are committed to improving the lives of those in need and provide financial and in-kind
support to organizations throughout the area.
WELCOME HOME DINNER
There’s always an Opening Night after Opening Day
for the Mets when the team follows its first home game
of the season at Shea Stadium with its annual
Welcome Home Dinner in Manhattan. The entire
organization attends this celebration that welcomes the
players back to New York. In the past three years, the
Mets Welcome Home Dinner has raised over
$2.1 million for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
RELAY FOR LIFE
Shea Stadium is the only Major League Baseball
facility to open its doors for the American
Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, a fun-filled,
non-competitive event designed to celebrate
survivorship and raise money for research. Teams
take turns walking or running laps with one team
member on the track at all times. The Relay
has raised over $400,000 for the Queens chapter
since 2005.
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Partnerships
The Mets provide various levels of support for many non-profit organizations, five of which are highlighted on these pages. These events are held in the
party tent and exclusive left field bleachers of the picnic area to raise funds and awareness for worthwhile causes.
The
Starlight
Starbright
Children’s Foundation provides
innovative
programs
and
services that entertain, educate,
inspire and help restore some of
the laughter and happiness that illness takes away from children. Their Starlight
Starbright Night at Shea has raised over $700,000 the last six years for the NY*NJ*CT
chapter. The Aramark Corporation generously donates the catering.
A Night to Believe has passed
the $1 million mark in 2008
for Project A.L.S., an organization renowned for its outstanding leadership in
finding and funding treatments and a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease. As a
thank-you to a theatre and film community that so loyally embraces the Project
A.L.S. mission, the Mets host a celebrity batting practice session earlier in the
day before staging a pre-game ceremony, National Anthem and ceremonial first
pitch that provide additional support to the cause.
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Since the Mets and the City Parks Foundation
joined
forces
in
1999
for
their
first
Summer At Shea picnic area benefit, the event
has raised $1.65 million for the hundreds of free
arts, sports and education programs the Foundation brings to 700 parks and 600,000
children and adults across New York City’s five boroughs each year.
The Mets have served as the “Official
Starter” for the Juvenile Diabetes
Research
Foundation’s
Fall
Walk
recruitment campaign. In just four years,
Bring Home the Cure has generated over $1 million toward finding a cure
for diabetes by motivating walk participants to register online and set their
monetary goals, prerequisites to obtaining a ticket to this special evening
Autism Awareness Day at Shea began five years ago under the
direction of the Queens-based QSAC (Quality Services for the
Autism Community) and has grown to include support from The
Alpine Learning Group, The New York Child Learning Institute,
The New York Center for Autism and Autism Speaks. The
event raised close to $1 million in 2007 to fund educational,
treatment and outreach programs.
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Mets Foundation
The Mets Foundation funds and promotes a variety of charitable causes, including educational, social and athletic programs for the young people of our community.
Founded in 1963, it continues its mission to invest in the future of our community and provide assistance to myriad organizations that benefit children and support other
worthy charitable causes. A registered 501c3 charity, the Mets Foundation takes no portion of the funds raised to offset internal costs. Every dollar of net receipts
granted to the Foundation is directed to accomplishing its mission.
The Mets Foundation partners with the individual causes and foundations of Mets
players during the season.
The 2nd annual Mets Foundation Teammates in the
Community charity fundraiser was held on June 9 at Richards in Greenwich, CT. More
than $575,000 was raised, which was distributed by the Mets Foundation to a variety of
worthy causes selected by Mets ownership and those who participated in the event’s live
auction – Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Aaron Heilman, John Maine, Pedro Martinez,
Mike Pelfrey, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana, Brian Schneider, Scott Schoeneweis, Billy
Wagner and David Wright.
The Mets Foundation will be matching the personal fundraising efforts of Beltran,
Delgado, and Wagner throughout the season: $500 donation for a total contribution of
$1,000 to Harlem RBI for each of
Beltran’s RBI; $100,000 to match
Delgado’s
donation
to
his
own
Foundation, Extra Bases; $1,000 for a
total contribution of $2,000 to the East
Harlem Tutorial Program and the
Second Chance Learning Center in
Virginia for each of Wagner’s saves.
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TEAMMETS
TeamMets is an initiative designed to bring attention to how
people can volunteer in their communities. The ownership,
front office, players and staff of the Mets will show their
TeamMets spirit by making community service appearances
throughout the year in support of this program meant to
inspire and encourage our fans to consider their own
commitment to volunteerism.
There are many levels of volunteerism, whether it's a visit to
your local senior center, library or elementary school or
joining one of the many non-profit service organizations
located in New York City. To find out more about the
variety of ways in which you can serve, contact The Mayor's
Volunteer Center of New York City by logging onto
nyc.gov/volunteer or by calling 311 or 212-NEW-YORK.
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C H A R I T Y B E G I N S AT H O M E
B E C O M E O U R T E A M M AT E
New York Mets
Shea Stadium
Flushing, NY 11368
718-507-6387