Here’s the official press release related to the Mets “Teammates in the Community Week”
METS AND CITI LAUNCH “TEAMMATES IN THE COMMUNITY WEEKâ€
TO PROMOTE VOLUNTEERISM AND SERVICE
Mets Players and Executives to Participate in Community Programs in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn Starting This Tuesday, June 22
“Teammates Week†Joins With Mayor Bloomberg to Highlight Upcoming
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
FLUSHING, N.Y., June 21, 2010 – The New York Mets and Citi today announced the launch of “Teammates in the Community Week,†a series of initiatives designed to foster the spirit of volunteerism and service in their hometown. During “Teammates in the Community Week†(June 22–27), Mets Ownership, players and front-office executives will participate in a series of diverse community outreach initiatives in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn culminating in a Service Day at Citi Field.
Teammates Week will join with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to highlight the power of volunteering on the eve of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world’s largest volunteer gathering, taking place in New York City starting June 28.
The Mets have also produced video vignettes that will air on SNY and in ballpark encouraging New Yorkers to give back to their communities. During 2010, the Mets and Citi have honored five volunteers with the “Teammates in the Community†award, which recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary service to New Yorkers.
At each event during Teammates Week, Mets players and executives, and Citi executives will work alongside local volunteers to bring attention to their selfless work and highlight their impact on the community.
Tuesday, June 22 – Community Garden Beautification
The Mets will help plant flowers and trees, and install grills at a community garden in Harlem, which is being revitalized with the help of local volunteers through NYC Service, Mayor Bloomberg’s comprehensive initiative to promote a new era of volunteerism in New York City. Community gardens provide green space and easily accessible recreational opportunities in the areas that need them most. Unattractive and unsafe spaces are turned into green havens for the neighborhood to enjoy.
Wednesday, June 23 – Environmental Preservation
The Mets will paint a YMCA roof in Brooklyn as part of NYC Service’s program to paint hot black roofs with a cool reflective white coating to help reflect the sun’s rays back into the atmosphere. The green initiative reduces greenhouse gas emissions, local temperatures and energy costs.
Thursday, June 24 – Animal Rescue and Adoption
The Mets will help take care of cats and dogs up for adoption at a midtown Manhattan animal shelter in support of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, a coalition of more than 160 animal rescue groups and shelters to end the killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs.
Friday, June 25 – Improving Neighborhood Park & Feeding the Hungry
The Mets will visit a park in Corona, Queens to paint a playground and hold a baseball clinic for local Little Leaguers who have devoted their time to improving their park. The project is organized by the City Parks Foundation, which operates in more than 750 parks around the city to present a broad range of free arts, sports and educational programs, and empowers citizens to support their parks on a local level.
In the afternoon, the Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi will participate in Teammates Week by joining Mets front-office staff and Citi volunteers on an apple repack organized by City Harvest. More than 25,000 pounds of apples will be placed into bags to be delivered to food pantries across the city. City Harvest helps feed the hungry by collecting excess food and delivering it to more than 600 community food programs across New York City. Mets alumni will present a volunteer from City Harvest with the “Teammates in the Community†award during an on-field, pre-game ceremony.
Sunday, June 27 – Service Day at Citi Field
The Mets and Citi will welcome the hundreds of state and city officials and volunteers that have traveled to New York to attend the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. The Mets and Citi will also honor the volunteers the Mets worked with throughout the week and celebrate the causes they support.
“The Mets and Citi are great partners and again they are showing real community leadership with Teammates Week,†said Mayor Bloomberg. “Our comprehensive volunteer program – NYC Service – is engaging altruistic New Yorkers across the City and driving their efforts towards our greatest needs. Having the Mets and Citi team up with NYC Service is another example of how New York City is meeting the President’s challenge to embrace a new era of community service.â€
“Two years ago, we teamed up with the Mayor to promote volunteerism through our TeamMets initiative, which uses the appeal of the Mets to inspire others to give back to their communities,†said Jeff Wilpon, Chief Operating Officer, New York Mets. “Teammates Week is an extension of platform, and reflects the spirit of service inherent it in our Organization and that of our partners at Citi. We are proud to help shine the much-deserved spotlight on the National Conference for Volunteering and Service to encourage all New Yorkers to make a difference in other people’s lives.â€
“Volunteering to help communities where Citi has a presence is an important part of our commitment to citizenship,†said Pam Flaherty, Director of Corporate Citizenship; President and CEO of the Citi Foundation. “In 2009, our employees spent nearly 300,000 hours volunteering in communities where they work and live. This partnership with the Mets and New York reinforces Citi’s commitment to making a difference here in New York and around the globe.â€
Mayor Bloomberg is the Chairman of the Host Committee for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, which will bring more than 5,000 people to New York City. The Corporation for National and Community Service and Points of Light Institute are co-conveners of the event, which is locally convened by NYC Service and New Yorkers Volunteer.
Teammates Week is the latest community-based initiative developed by the Mets and Citi and an extension of TeamMets, which launched two years ago in conjunction with a citywide effort to inspire New Yorkers to lend a hand to community organizations. Members of the Mets front office donate their time to events during the year, working with organizations including City Harvest, Urban Dove and the Everybody Wins! Foundation. To spread the word, the Mets produced a series of public service announcements that promoted NYC Service, Mayor Bloomberg’s volunteer initiative.
The Mets and Citi have developed several community programs including Citi Field Kids, an educational and motivational program for students conducted before games focusing on the legacy of Jackie Robinson developed by the Jackie Robinson Foundation and United Neighborhood Houses. The Mets and Citi have also forged relationships with City Harvest, Habitat for Humanity and Wounded Warriors. In April, the Mets launched the Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi that connects past Mets greats with community-outreach initiatives, further enhancing their partnership and commitment to the community.
For the latest information on Teammates Week, visit Mets.com and follow the Mets on Twitter at @NewYorkMets.
About the National Conference on Volunteering and Service: The National Conference on Volunteering and Service is the world’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, government, and corporate sectors. Convened by Points of Light Institute and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the annual event provides attendees with an opportunity to learn, connect and shape the future of service and volunteering through plenary sessions, workshops, special events, and service projects. The 2010 conference takes place June 28-30 in New York City. For more information, visit VolunteeringandService.org.
