Group That Hosts Birthday Parties For Homeless Kids Honored In Yankees HOPE Week
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A special birthday party was held at Yankee Stadium on Thursday before the Yankees hosted the Kansas City Royals.
The group Birthday Wishes, which helps homeless children celebrate their birthdays, was honored as part of Yankees HOPE Week.
It was an unforgettable birthday for Faith Hicks, 8.
"I'm usually not anywhere where people can find me and I can't go anywhere on my birthday," she told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond.
Group That Hosts Birthday Parties For Homeless Kids Honored In Yankees HOPE Week
Hicks and several other homeless children from Long Island got to celebrate with pitchers Mariano Rivera and CC Sabathia.
"To come here and share with us and we share with them is important for us," said Rivera.
"Seeing how excited they are now, getting all the gifts and the candy and everything, I mean it's been a lot of fun. So to be able to make this day special for them, it's cool for us," Sabathia said.
LINK: Learn More About Yankees HOPE Week
Birthday Wishes has thrown thousands of parties for homeless children since it was founded in November 2002.
"They'll never forget this day," Birthday Wishes co-founder Lisa Vasiloff told Diamond. "I'll never forget this day!"
There was cake, candy and presents for each of the kids at the party. The kids got a tour of the Yankees dugout and the field.
"It shows them that they day were born is special and they are special and they often don't get the opportunity to remember that," the non-profit's Long Island chapter director told Diamond.
HOPE Week – or, Helping Others Persevere and Excel Week – honors people or groups in the community who've gone above and beyond in helping others.
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