YANKEES TO KICK OFF THE 16th EDITION OF HOPE WEEK BY HONORING THE NON-PROFIT “LOVE, NANA” ON MONDAY, JUNE 16 YANKEES PLAYERS AND COACHES WILL JOIN JOAN HYLAND (NANA), HER FAMILY AND THE BACKYARD PLAYERS & FRIENDS TO CREATE GIFT BUNDLES OF BABY CLOTHES FOR NEW AND EXPECTANT PARENTS AT YANKEE STADIUM

JUNE 12, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
YANKEES TO KICK OFF THE 16th EDITION OF HOPE WEEK BY HONORING THE NON-PROFIT “LOVE, NANA” ON MONDAY, JUNE 16
YANKEES PLAYERS AND COACHES WILL JOIN JOAN HYLAND (NANA), HER FAMILY AND THE BACKYARD PLAYERS & FRIENDS TO CREATE GIFT BUNDLES OF BABY CLOTHES FOR NEW AND EXPECTANT PARENTS AT YANKEE STADIUM

The New York Yankees are proud to announce that the 16th edition of HOPE Week (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) will take place from Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 20, 2025.

Each day during HOPE Week, the Yankees will reach out to an individual, family or organization worthy of recognition and support. Whenever possible, the Yankees will attempt to personally connect with individuals in the settings of their greatest successes at locations that honor the spirit of their noble endeavors.

All outreach in the community ultimately culminates with recognition at Yankee Stadium during a Yankees game.

***EMBARGO NOTE: ALL HOPE WEEK EVENTS CONTAIN SURPRISE ELEMENTS FOR THE HONOREES. PRIOR TO THE EVENT TAKING PLACE, MEDIA IS ASKED TO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING OR DISSEMINATING THE NAMES OF HONOREES OR DETAILS OF THE SCHEDULED EVENTS.***ABOUT EVENTS ON MONDAY, JUNE 16, AND HONOREE – “LOVE, NANA” MEDIA INFORMATION FOR COVERING HOPE WEEK DAY ONE: MONDAY, JUNE 16 AT YANKEE STADIUM

WHAT: The Yankees will honor Joan Hyland and her non-profit “Love, Nana,” which creates gift bundles of baby clothes for families in need throughout Long Island and the surrounding boroughs. Hyland receives daily help from the Backyard Players & Friends, an organization started by Hyland’s daughters that provides programming for teens and young adults with intellectual disabilities or autism. Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Luke Weaver, Jonathan Loáisiga and Ian Hamilton, along with Third Base Coach Luis Rojas, First Base Coach Travis Chapman and Assistant Pitching Coach Preston Claiborne will be joining Hyland, her family and the Backyard Players & Friends in making these baby clothes bundles in the Coupa Suite Level at Yankee Stadium. Later that afternoon, the group will be guests of the Yankees for batting practice and the team’s 7:05 p.m. game vs. the Angels.

TIMING/LOCATION/PARKING FOR EVENT: Media should arrive at the Yankee Stadium Gate 2 Lobby between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (located near the corner of Jerome Ave and E. 164th St.). The event in the Coupa Suite Level starts promptly at 12:00 p.m. Media should RSVP by e-mailing Kaitlyn Brennan (kbrennan@yankees.com) and Jon Butensky (jbutensky@yankees.com), and also apply for credentials at credentials.mlb.com. Media can receive complimentary parking in the 164th Street Lot (entrance on the SW corner of River Ave. and E. 164th Street). Please include in your RSVP email if you will need parking. If you will be utilizing complimentary parking, please notify Kaitlyn Brennan and Jon Butensky no later than 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 15.

ABOUT HOPE WEEK HONOREE – “LOVE, NANA”

Joan Hyland, 87, is not just the matriarch of her family, but she’s the matriarch of her Long Island community. Despite heading a family of seven children, 28 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, Hyland has taken it upon herself over the last five years to provide essential resources for thousands of families who are facing tough odds in navigating the initial years of parenthood.

Her mission began in 2020, right as the COVID-19 epidemic began to upend everyone’s lives. One of Hyland’s grandsons, Lynbrook Police Officer Ryan White, told her that he knew a local coffee shop employee who needed baby clothes for his child, who was soon on the way.

Hyland worked the phones in her family and acquired some lightly worn clothing that one of her great-grandchildren had outgrown. She then created a beautiful care package, washing and neatly folding the items to create a pretty presentation. Fully tapping into her maternal instincts, she found the sense of satisfaction of helping was profound — and a charity was born.

“When you have nothing, you have nothing, and most people don’t know what that’s like,” said Hyland. “I thought if I give something that looks like a present, that the family wouldn’t be insulted by it. Whatever is in that bag is the very best I can put together.”

Originally based out of Hyland’s Malverne basement, the nonprofit took on the name, “Love, Nana,” which is the sign-off she uses on every birthday card she sends to her grandchildren.

The gift bundles are meticulously compiled. All items are washed and inspected. Clothing cannot have stains or be missing snaps or buttons. If items don’t look like a gift, they don’t get redistributed.

Within two years, the ever-expanding scope of her efforts necessitated a dedicated workspace, and the organization took over a Rockville Centre storefront.

“I’m extremely lucky. I have a village behind me,” said Hyland, a retired registered nurse. “I’m proud of what we do. I don’t always see the people I help, but I know they will be happy with it.”

Each year, “Love, Nana” donates approximately 2,000 bundles — color-coordinated packages of gently used or brand-new clothes and accessories for infants and toddlers up to 24 months. They are provided to nonprofits in Nassau and Suffolk counties and Queens. Bundles also reach other parts of the New York Metropolitan area, through Mount Sinai Family and Community Services and the Bowery Mission in Manhattan. Bundles have also been gifted to the Refugee Resettlement Program of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, who look after Ukrainian refugees who have come to the U.S. with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

“These people have come with very little,” said St. Joseph’s Job Development Specialist Dorothy Crowley. “They are so far from home, and their lives have been turned upside down. The bundles make such an impact, and the refugees are so appreciative.”

Dozens of local students and residents have volunteered for the organization, and it has become a source of pride in the community. Incredibly, “Love, Nana” has doubled down on the good it provides, partnering with Backyard Players & Friends (BPF), a nonprofit started by Hyland’s daughters, which provides programming for teens and young adults with intellectual disabilities or autism. BPF participants volunteer three times a week to sort, launder and fold baby clothes while learning vocational and social skills.

Donations of clothing, shoes, accessories, toys and books, come from a slew of Nassau County mothers groups and from clothing drives at local middle schools and high schools. Additionally, retailers such as TJ Maxx and Target contribute clearance items. The logistics of the entire operation are astounding, but it’s not something that anyone at “Love, Nana” dwells upon.

Hyland’s daughter, Christine Daly, 60, explained what she and her siblings were taught as children: “If there was a need somewhere, we were taught to just fill it.”

Introduced in 2009 and embarking on its 16th edition in 2025 (including a pause in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic), the Yankees’ HOPE Week initiative (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) is an ambitious, week-long, multi-faceted community outreach program undertaken by all players and employees within the organization. The initiative is rooted in the belief that acts of goodwill provide hope and encouragement to more than just the recipient of the gesture.

At its core, HOPE Week is about people helping people. The one thing everybody has — no matter their background or financial situation — is time. By involving every one of our players and coaches, Manager Aaron Boone, General Manager Brian Cashman, our minor league affiliates and front office staff during the celebration of HOPE Week, the Yankees send the message that everyone can give of themselves to make their community a better place.

Equally significant during HOPE Week is garnering publicity for highlighted causes and organizations. The greatest challenge facing many not-for-profits is generating interest, awareness and funding for their missions.

The Yankees encourage all their fans to get involved … Give HOPE!

—nyy—