In Photos: Aaron Judge, Juan Soto & other Bronx Bombers move special young fan to tears with heartwarming gestures
Ahead of Friday's game, Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and other Yankees hosted "Make a Wish Kid" honoree Justin during batting practice before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.
In the snaps shared on social media, Soto can be seen meeting with Justin, who gets a signed ball. The slugger took Justin to meet other Yankees stars and other staff members. Justin was overwhelmed after his wish turned true and shed a few tears.
Make-A-Wish America is a foundation established in 1980, taking inspiration from a kid named Chris Greicius, who wanted to become a police officer. His wish was granted, starting the movement for this program, which grants the wishes of kids suffering from critical illnesses to inspire them to fight against all odds.
According to SI, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 550,000 wishes to children with serious illnesses. In the past as well, Judge and other well-known athletes have fulfilled the wishes of many kids selected through this initiative.
Aaron Judge and other athletes celebrate Fanatics and Make-A-Wish collaboration to fulfill Wish Kids' requests
On October 24, 2023, Make-A-Wish and Fanatics, a leading global digital sports platform, joined hands, through which sports wishes coming from kids from the foundation will be fulfilled by "Official Sports Partner,” i.e. Fanatics.
“A critical illness upends childhood, bringing months, and sometimes years, of fear and traumatic stress into the lives of children and their families,” said Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America.
“Our partnership with Fanatics will help us create transformative experiences that will leave a lasting, positive impact long after the wish, often marking a turning point in a child's treatment and recovery.”
An event was organized in New York City to celebrate the launch of a new partnership. Sports icons, including Tom Brady, Aaron Judge and Jayson Tatum, granted the wishes of kids at the event.
Previously, in 2018, Aaron Judge had fulfilled the wish of a kid who wanted to spend a day at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees captain invited the nine-year-old boy from the initiative and gave him memorabilia items and a seat beside Yankees executive Brian Cashman to watch the game.