Judge, Stanton, And Other Yankees Sluggers Host Students In Kickball Game To End Bullying
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It was a dream come true Tuesday for some young Yankees fans, as prominent members of the team hosted several students -- including a girl whose story about bullying went viral -- as part of their annual HOPE Week initiative.
There was applause and high fives when some of the Bronx Bombers walked onto Heritage Field. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and a number of their teammates were at the park across from Yankee Stadium to play a spirited game of kickball.
Their teammates were a group of students from the Bronx who are members of No Bully, an organization working to end bullying -- especially on social media.
"I would get bullied about the way I looked," 6th grader Zaire Lynch said. "It's hard when people are making fun of you all the time."
Believe it or not, the successful athletes on the field said they've had similar experiences.
"I've gone through it too, especially in elementary school," Judge said. "The biggest thing is just be positive and nice to other people. Treat people how you want to be treated."
"All of us have been a victim of it at some point and if not we know someone close to us who has, so just to bring support and awareness to it and try to put an end to it," Stanton said.
Cassidy Warner was one of the team's special guests. She's the ten-year-old Pennsylvania girl whose silent video detailing how she was bullied at school went viral. The Yankees responded with a video of their own and an invitation to chat, play, and have lunch.
On Tuesday, Warner got to spend the entire day hanging out with the team. She was feeling pretty shy and didn't want to talk much, but she did say she was having a great time.
The game and Cassidy's day-long adventure were all part of HOPE Week, the time when the Yankees shine a spotlight on a different individual, family, or organization they want to recognize and support.
Members of the No Bully group say the Bombers knocked this one out of the park.
"They're phenomenal," Erik Stangvik said. "Taking time in the middle of the season to literally spend a full day with these kids is just spectacular and they couldn't be nicer."
As a cherry on top, Cassidy also threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday night's game against the Washington Nationals.
