 Community
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The Mets responsibility to give back to the community at large is driven by the 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 the development of platforms, programs, and initiatives.
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.
Through appearances by players, executives, staff and the use of our many resources, the Mets assist many facets of the community - schools, libraries, hospitals, museums, and youth baseball leagues, to name just a few.
The Mets take pride in our ongoing commitment to the social, cultural and educational needs and opportunities of the metropolitan area.
Scroll down to read about our efforts, or click here to view an index of programs »
> FUNDRAISING
The New York Mets Foundation funds and promotes a variety of educational, social and athletic programs and other charitable causes. Founded in 1963, it continues its mission to invest in the future of our community, and to provide assistance to myriad organizations that benefit children and others in need.
A registered 501© 3 charity, the Mets Foundation takes no portion of the funds raised to offset internal costs. The New York Mets pay 100% of the Foundation's overhead to ensure that the entirety of a donation is directed toward helping others.
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The New York Mets and The American Cancer Society of Queens hosted their 3rd Relay for Life at Shea Stadium on Saturday, May 17th, 2008.
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The 6th Annual Night to Believe raised $200,000 in the picnic area of Shea on May 30 and has now raised more than $1 million mark since 2003 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. The event includes a barbecue, DJ, and silent auction for over 800 guests who watch the game from the exclusive left field bleachers. As a thank-you to a theatre and film community that so loyally embrace the Project A.L.S. mission, the Mets host a celebrity batting practice session earlier in the day before staging a pre-game presentation and ceremonial first pitch that provide additional support to the cause.
The City Parks Foundation (CPF) and the Mets have been teamed up since 1999 to raise over $1.65 million in support of CPF's free park programs for children and adults across New York City's five boroughs. CPF assists over 700 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports and education programs and helping citizens to support their parks on a local level.
Summer at Shea provides an opportunity for New Yorkers to enjoy a night of baseball in support of CPF. A barbecue, silent auction and pitching booth for kids get the festivities started in the picnic area before everyone enjoys the game in the exclusive left field bleachers.
The Mets donated 900 tickets in the picnic area to Starlight for their 6th annual Starlight Starbright Night at Shea on June 11, which raised $158,000 and increased their 6-year total to $716,446. The evening featured music, face painting, clowns a special visit from Rusty Staub and Mr. Met, and unlimited food and soft drinks courtesy of Aramark. The highlight of the event was the ceremonial first pitch thrown by Starlight child Chi Chi (Jose) Sanford.
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The Mets have served as the "Official Starter" for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Fall Walk recruitment campaign. This annual event in the picnic area of Shea Stadium has been paramount for JDRF in their efforts to recruit and retain corporate and family teams and individual walkers to their Walk to Cure Diabetes program. The evening has motivated participants to register online and set their monetary goals, pre-requisites to obtaining a ticket, courtesy of the Mets. In just five years, Bring Home the Cure has raised over $1 million towards finding a cure for diabetes.
For more information about JDRF, call 1-800-533-CURE (2873).
> EDUCATION
Citi joined the New York Mets in support of the Queens, Brooklyn and New York Public Libraries. All kids were encouraged to "Catch the Reading Bug" this summer by visiting their local library to sign up for the 2008 Summer Reading Club. The Mets, who have teamed up with NYC's libraries for the past 15 years, tape a public service announcement, schedule a player appearance, produce bookmarks and donate thousands of tickets for libraries to distribute to their members for Summer Reading Club Night at Shea.
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Mets / SHARP Electronics Student Athlete Leadership Team |
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The Mets/Sharp Electronics Student Athlete Leadership Conference Series trains more than 1,200 student/athletes from 30 high schools on Long Island to deliver drug and alcohol abuse prevention programming to over 20,000 grade school children.
Conducted at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, LI, by Athletes Helping Athletes, a nationally recognized organization dedicated to developing proactive programs to address serious social and health issues affecting youth today, the workshops prepare the Student Athlete Leaders for their ongoing visits with fifth graders in their school districts. This Student Athlete Leadership Team promotes positive activities such as sports while also educating students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
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Mets players visited middle school students in May in support of the team's School is Amazing program. Launched in 2006, sponsored by health insurer GHI, and supported by the NYC's Department of Education, School is Amazing reinforces the benefits of education and attendance and allows students to express what they most enjoy about school.
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The CW11, the Mets' broadcast television partner, teamed up with the Mets for the 3rd annual "CW11 Weather Education Day at Shea," a special field trip program and interactive pre-game meteorology lesson for 15,000 students from throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. "Weather Education Day at Shea" engages students in a curriculum based program to study weather patterns and phenomenon. Students are selected to go on the field and try their hand at delivering the weather on a "green screen" to emulate a weather telecast. The May 15 event began with the students participating in an interactive pre-game meteorology lesson, led by CW11 weather experts Mr. G and Linda Church, before the students watched the Mets take on the Nationals.
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.
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> HELPING HANDS/MENTORING
On Wednesday, December 17, Francisco Rodriguez -the Mets' new closer- joined manager Jerry Manuel, general manager Omar Minaya, John Maine and "Santa" Pelfrey at Citi headquarters in Queens, where the Mets hosted their holiday party for children in seven New York City public schools throughout the five boroughs.
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HealthPlus continued to get kids out to the ball game through their "Let's Go Kids!" ticket program. Local youth organizations were invited to Shea Stadium as guests of HealthPlus, received a Mets caps and a select few even got the chance to step on the field before a game to meet a Mets player. [ More... ]
Rock and Wrap It Up is an international anti-poverty charity that has recruited the entertainment industry, colleges and schools and professional sports teams to join its fight to alleviate hunger around the world by feeding all those who hunger using safely recovered edible leftover food. The organization picks up food leftover from backstage catering and other venues and brings it to local soup kitchens and shelters.
The Mets and the Aramark Corporation are in the Sports Wrap lineup. Over 97,000 items have been recovered at Shea Stadium in the past two years, an average of 650 items per game, which were delivered to 14 area pantries by Sports Wrap volunteers.
> FITNESS/RECREATION
The United Spinal Association Mets, a Division I wheelchair softball team co-sponsored by the United Spinal Association, hosted their 7th Annual Major League Wheelchair Softball Association Tournament at Shea Stadium on Sept. 19 and 20.
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> YOUTH BASEBALL
The Mets and the Police Athletic League (PAL) have been partners since 1983 in bringing baseball to thousands of New York City youngsters. The team lends financial support to the Mets/PAL Rookie League of 5,000 boys and girls playing ball throughout the city. The Mets also host an annual PAL All-Star Day that gives many of their kids the thrill of playing at Shea. To top it off, 24,000 tickets to Mets games are donated to PAL's Summer Play Street program.
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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 organizations representing 15,000 young people and 1,100 teams each year. The Mets host the GNYSSA's annual All-Star Games for 15-16 and 17-18 year old players and provide financial support to citywide tournaments and programs of member organizations.
YMCA Jr. Mets is a comprehensive 8-week youth baseball program that emphasizes the fun of playing baseball while developing athletic and social skills, practicing the YMCA's core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. In addition, the program incorporates a health and wellness curriculum not only for the participants but their families too.
Since 1995, the YMCA has introduced thousands of young people to baseball, sportsmanship, and feelings of improved self-esteem and achievement. In the summer of 2008, over 1,100 New York City youth will participate at 8 YMCAs: Cross Island, Flatbush, Greenpoint, Jamaica, Long Island City, North Brooklyn, South Shore and Vanderbilt.
Three special highlights this season included a skills clinic with Mets outfielder Endy Chavez and pitcher Carlos Muniz, a fitness clinic with MLB's P.L.A.Y program (Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth) hosted by Mets head trainer Rey Ramirez, and 1,200 tickets for program participants to enjoy a game on YMCA Jr. Mets night at Shea Stadium in August.
YMCA Jr. Mets is operated with sponsorship by the New York Mets and the National Grid Foundation.
Harlem RBI is a community based youth development program in East Harlem which provides year-round academic, enrichment and sports programs to over 650 youth ages 7 to 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 Carlos's pledge of $500 per RBI for the 2008 season.
A free skills competition which encourages youth participation and emphasizes the fun of baseball, Pitch, Hit & Run tests a competitor's ability to hit, run, field and throw at regional trials. Results are compared with others in his or her age group across the United States to qualify for the National Finals held during Major League Baseball's All-Star Game. The Mets hosted an on-field regional competition and recognized the local winners in a pre-game ceremony in June.
To support the growth of youth baseball and softball, the Mets and all Major League Baseball Clubs have teamed up with the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF) to organize equipment collection drives. The BTF is a joint initiative between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association that was established in 1999 through a $10 million commitment by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
The Mets and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, in an effort to support youth baseball and softball, hosted their Annual Equipment Collection Drive on Saturday, August 9, at Shea Stadium. Fans were asked to bring new or used baseball and softball equipment - gloves, bats, baseballs, helmets - to Shea, which was collected outside the stadium before the game. The donated equipment was given to the Greater New York Sandlot Athletic Alliance, which serves several amateur baseball organizations.
Throughout its rich history, baseball's greatest moments have been played out on its lush fields of green. Now thanks to an unprecedented partnership, the national pastime is embracing the color green in a whole new way.
Major League Baseball and the Natural Resources Defense Council have jointly announced the creation of a Team Greening Program. More »
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