New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed Intro. 891 into law on Thursday, May 25, which will allow sporting venues to hold games of chance, such as raffles, for charitable purposes.

 

“Today, we are hitting a home run for New York City nonprofits,” said Adams. “New York City is home to some of the greatest sporting teams in the nation, and we love supporting them, especially when they give back to the community. Today, with the signing of this bill into law, we are stepping up to the plate, and making it easier for the Yankees, the Mets, and others to partner with charitable organizations to raise money for New Yorkers. We thank our partners in the Council for this legislation.”

 

Intro. 891 allows sports venues throughout New York City to conduct raffles for charitable purposes during professional or collegiate sporting competitions, provided certain conditions are met. City officials said raffles may be conducted from two hours before the beginning of play until the end of play. Under the legislation, they said iconic venues, such as Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, and Madison Square Garden, will be able to conduct these raffles, allowing venues to team up with charitable organizations and increase their philanthropic work.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson also welcomed the decision, saying, “By allowing raffles at sporting events, teams will be able to raise money for hunger relief, veterans, and other worthy causes for our borough and city.” She added, “I want to thank the City Council for pushing this important legislation forward and Mayor Adams for signing Intro. 891 into law. With this bill, iconic venues throughout our city will now be able to increase their philanthropic work to support our communities that need it the most.”

 

District 17 City Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr. said, “With the introduction of 50/50 fan raffles in New York City sporting venues, we have paved the way for sports teams to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities each season. He added, “I would like to thank Mayor Adams for signing my bill into law today, bringing New York City into alignment with what is already allowed at sports venues across New York state, and virtually every other state in the country. I look forward to seeing the positive impact that this new initiative will bring to our city.”

 

Meanwhile, District 13 City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez said in part, “Here in The Bronx, we’ll be able to work with teams like the New York Yankees to support our philanthropic goals. This is exciting, and I look forward to seeing our local teams being able to support charitable community goals.”

 

Senior vice president of corporate/community relations for the New York Yankees, Brian Smith, said the Yankees were thankful that the city approved and signed into law Intro. 891-A, which he said would provide millions of dollars of additional funding for community-based organizations that he said positively impact the lives of people throughout the five boroughs.”

Smith added, “The money raised will allow our community partners to provide increased programming and depth of service, strengthening some of the city’s most vital organizations. We were passionate about seeing this law come to fruition and are excited to witness the benefits it will afford New Yorkers in the years to come.”

 

As reported, each year, The New York Yankees Community Council provides a $750 stipend to five deserving students nominated by each Bronx community board to receive a Youth Leadership Award. Applicants must have performed 50 hours of leadership/volunteer work as a tutor, mentor, community unity developer, and/or as an advocate against violence or substance abuse in their community in order to be eligible.

Before the Yankees took on the Baltimore Orioles at home on Wednesday evening, May 24, Bronx Community Board 8 Youth Leadership Award recipients, Obba Sanyang and Jamal Disla, took to the field and were seen on the big screen amid huge applause from the crowd for the formal presentation of their awards.

 

The Bronx Bombers ultimately lost that game. Click here for a short video of attendees singing the end of the national anthem.

 

On Saturday, May 27, it was the turn of the Bronx Community Board 7 Youth Leadership Award recipients to attend a game at the stadium and to be presented on the field with their respective awards. They were accompanied by some family members and some members of Bronx Community Board 7 and were also met with plenty of support and applause. The recipients are Mhya Tejada, Amy Pichardo, Analisa Brown-Beebe, Annette Navarro, Patricia Asiamah.

 

The board later wrote in a social media post after the game, “Big round of applause to our 2023 NY Yankee Award Recipients! These students are amazing leaders in our community! #bronxcommunityboard7 #yankeestadium“