Freshness and relevance are the two toughest things to find in annual events, especially when they are successful. Rince and repeat can become pretty easy. Not always successful, but much easier to do. Less risk, and usually a known reward. Personally i find that boring, and so do the New York Yankees, a legacy brand which you may not think needs to reinvent events to stay relevant. However HOPE Week remains the shining example, 15 years in, of how even the most successful brands have to find ways to stay relevant, curious and engaged.
Holding its 15th edition in 2024 (including a pause in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic), the Yankees’ HOPE Week initiative (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) is rooted in the fundamental belief that acts of goodwill provide hope and encouragement to more than just the recipient of the gesture.
On each of five consecutive days during the celebration of HOPE Week, the Yankees shine a spotlight on a different individual, family or organization worthy of recognition and support. Each day is designed so honorees can share their inspirational stories with Yankees players, fans and the media, while being surprised with the day of their dreams. Though each day’s celebration ultimately culminates with a visit to Yankee Stadium on the day of a game, outreach typically takes place at a location in the community that symbolizes the accomplishments of the honoree.
At its core, HOPE Week is about people helping people. The one thing everybody has – no matter where they come from, what their financial situation is or what kind of skills they possess – is time. By involving every players and coach, and the entire front office staff during the celebration of HOPE Week, the Yankees are sending the message that everyone can give of themselves to make their community a better place.
Equally significant during HOPE Week is garnering publicity for the highlighted causes and organizations. The greatest challenge facing many not-for-profits is generating interest, awareness and funding for their missions.
This year’s initiative has been dedicated to spotlighting individuals who have embraced social media as a tool to uplift, inspire and celebrate what we can achieve when unifying around kindness and each other.
To celebrate social media’s connective tissue, Yankees players teamed up with Instagram and TikTok sensation @kidthewiz and an array of fellow New Yorkers to create and post their own new dance video. In brought together a diverse cross section of people to share in the joy of this project, the Yankees hope to remind people that our similarities are greater than our differences.
Joining the team and @kidthewiz were students from Dance to Unite, a non-profit organization that utilizes dance and guided conversations about values to teach and celebrate respect, cultural diversity and kindness. One-hour after-school classes are held on a weekly basis from October to June and culminate with an end-of-year performance. The 265 students across 17 schools taught by Dance to Unite are elementary and middle school students from underserved Lower East Side, Chinatown, Brooklyn and the Bronx Title 1 schools, largely comprised of students of color. Since beginning in October 2009, the organization has served more than 2,000 students.
The most compelling aspect of the program doesn’t actually involve dance. Each class begins with “Circle Talk,” where for 5-10 minutes, the students discuss a “word of the week” — such as love, acceptance and respect — which teaches them how to treat each other. These words are part of a Social Emotional Learning educational curriculum called the “13 Steps to Unity,” which embody the core essence of Dance to Unite’s mission. The purpose of these conversations is to open Dance to Unite students’ minds to understand, accept, respect and celebrate themselves and each other. These values are also weaved into dance instruction, so students “live out” these values.
Throughout the five-day stretch of games, the HOPE Week narrative is woven into the Yankees’ on-field activities. Honorees are treated like members of the team, joining players and coaches next to the hitting cage during batting practice and on the field after victories for celebratory high fives. They also participate in traditional pregame festivities, including ceremonial first pitches and the exchange of team lineup cards. Most importantly, all are given a platform to tell their inspiring stories in their own voices.
Does this mean the Yankees cram all their good will into one week? No. What HOPE Week does is serve as a great example of what the value of sport and celebrity can do for so many charities and causes, and draws attention to all in one concerted effort. There is lots of follow-up, and lots of special events, the team and the players do prior and will continue to do after. However by focusing so many efforts in one week, it serves as a great reminder to all what the team can stand for in the community. Each year the event has grown, and year 14 served as a great look back as well as a look into new ways to engage and build serving as a “Must Do” not just for baseball teams but for every elite team. (The Minnesota Twins are the only team that comes to light to have mirrored the initiative in their own city, since 2011). It should also not end with the pro teams. The most elite of college programs should do the same, and the USOPC could handle as well.
No the Yanks are not alone in bringing hope. What they have done first is really use the wide-ranging week, in midseason, to expand the brand and once again convey their leadership, this time off the field.
Well done. Again!
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