Friday, June 17, 2005
Yanks give $1 million for tsunami relief
NEW YORK -- Bill Clinton didn't let a little rain prevent him from collecting a big check from the Yankees on Thursday, as the former president accepted a $1 million donation for relief efforts from the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia in December.
Clinton accepted the donation from Yankees general partner Steve Swindal on behalf of owner George Steinbrenner before Thursday night's game against the Pirates. With rain falling on the Yankee Stadium field, pitcher Mike Mussina escorted President Clinton from the Yankees dugout to the area behind home plate.
The donation will be divided equally between the Bush-Clinton Fund and the Clinton Foundation Tsunami Recovery Project.
The Yankees had previously announced that they would contribute $1 million from the proceeds of their 2005 Opening Night game against the Red Sox to aid the millions effected by the tsunami.
"The New York Yankees are proud to join the worldwide effort to aid and assist those in South Asia affected by the tsunami," Swindal said in a statement. "It is a distinct honor to have President Clinton as our welcomed guest at Yankee Stadium. His work and efforts -- along with those of President George H. W. Bush -- are a humbling reminder of the positive impact American people can make all over the world."
In January, President George W. Bush asked former Presidents Bush and Clinton to lead a national campaign to encourage donations for tsunami relief. Since that time, the American people, businesses and organizations, have made more than $1 billion in private contributions.
In February, the former presidents traveled to Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives Islands to witness the effects of the tsunami and talk with survivors, relief workers and government officials about the recovery effort.
For more information on the Clinton Foundation, visit www.clintonfoundation.org.
Source: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/
Clinton accepted the donation from Yankees general partner Steve Swindal on behalf of owner George Steinbrenner before Thursday night's game against the Pirates. With rain falling on the Yankee Stadium field, pitcher Mike Mussina escorted President Clinton from the Yankees dugout to the area behind home plate.
The donation will be divided equally between the Bush-Clinton Fund and the Clinton Foundation Tsunami Recovery Project.
The Yankees had previously announced that they would contribute $1 million from the proceeds of their 2005 Opening Night game against the Red Sox to aid the millions effected by the tsunami.
"The New York Yankees are proud to join the worldwide effort to aid and assist those in South Asia affected by the tsunami," Swindal said in a statement. "It is a distinct honor to have President Clinton as our welcomed guest at Yankee Stadium. His work and efforts -- along with those of President George H. W. Bush -- are a humbling reminder of the positive impact American people can make all over the world."
In January, President George W. Bush asked former Presidents Bush and Clinton to lead a national campaign to encourage donations for tsunami relief. Since that time, the American people, businesses and organizations, have made more than $1 billion in private contributions.
In February, the former presidents traveled to Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives Islands to witness the effects of the tsunami and talk with survivors, relief workers and government officials about the recovery effort.
For more information on the Clinton Foundation, visit www.clintonfoundation.org.
Source: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/
