"They continued even after they made it" - Aaron Judge opens up on how Yankees legends Derek Jeter & CC Sabathia's charity work inspired him

Aaron Judge hosted his charity All Rise Foundation's annual gala on Monday. At the event, he shared what inspired him and his mother to start the charity six years ago.

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"My inspiration for starting the foundation really started [with] all the guys who came before me," he said. "My dad was a big Dave Winfield fan, and I knew a lot about Dave Winfield and he had a foundation. You know, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, guys before me, they all had foundations and they continued even after they made it.

You know got their big contracts, did everything they could, All-Stars, MVPs, everything like that, Cy Youngs, they still try to give back to the next generation. So I saw that as a kid, I saw that coming up through the minor leagues. Really just, my mom and I just a lot of late nights talking about how we can continue to help. And this was in the works in 2018, now it is 2024 and it is amazing to see it grow."

Early on in his career, Jeter established the Turn 2 Foundation, which aimed at helping young boys and girls with addiction. The foundation has been awarded for its charity work. Sabathia, meanwhile, has headed the PitCCh In Foundation, which has supported children and school infrastructure in New York.

Yankees players attend Aaron Judge's All Rise Foundation gala, with one major absentee

Like every year, Aaron Judge invited his teammates to his All Rise Foundation gala. The Yankees leader was joined by teammates Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo. Anthony Volpe was also spotted at the event, sharing the spotlight with ex-Yankees slugger Harrison Bader.

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However, one prominent name who wasn't there for the event was Juan Soto. Yankees fans have seen enough camaraderie between Judge and Soto in the last year. However, the reason behind Soto's absence could be he and his agent, Scott Boras, are busy receiving offers from various teams as his sweepstakes continue.

After meeting both New York clubs, Soto sat down with the Los Angeles Dodgers and heard their initial offer.

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