More than 6,000 Bronx kids and their families gathered for the New York Yankees’ 16th annual Winter Wonderland event on Friday, Dec. 12, in the Great Hall at Yankee Stadium.
This holiday extravaganza was themed to be set in the North Pole. There were festive decorations and special appearances from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Renaissance Youth Center Choir entertained attendees with live musical performances.
In addition to enjoying the food and drinks on hand, the children at the event also got to choose their own holiday gift. The remaining toys and gifts were donated to Bronx-based organizations.
“This is an amazing day. We get to work with incredible partners to make this happen,” Yankees Corporate/Community Relations Senior Vice President Brian Smith said. “We are so excited to once again host this event, and it’s something we look forward to every year.”
The toys were provided by Walmart, which partnered with the Yankees for the Winter Wonderland event for an eighth straight year.
“The partnership that Walmart has with the Yankees for the Winter Wonderland is such a great opportunity that we enjoy every year,” Walmart Associate Merchant Michael York said. “It’s about getting out into the community, making sure that every child has a toy, has excitement for Christmas. That’s our purpose, to make sure everyone is living their best life and just enjoying the holiday spirit.”
American Foliage set up the holiday display, while the food and hot chocolate were provided by Legends Global.
Approximately 2,000 books were given to children after they selected toys. The books were provided by the Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation.
“It is such a magical day for us,” Yankees Community Affairs Ambassador Haley Steinbrenner Swindal said. “It’s really a fun day to celebrate our amazing kids from the community. Year after year, we get to watch these kids grow up, from the baby toys all the way up to the adolescent toys. It’s really a magical day that’s all about the kids. To watch the magic of Christmas through their eyes is really special for all of us.”
In addition to American Foliage, Legends Global and Walmart, other sponsors for this year’s Winter Wonderland event included Nike and Neil and Amanda Friedman.
