Yanks make a pitch for Memorial Trees - News from the World of Trees - New York Yankees are one of the many supporters of the Memorial Tree Groves campaign - Brief Article

American Forests, Summer, 2002 by Rachel Brittin

Come September, the 26-time world champion New York Yankees are slated to be hitting home runs in the direction of a special tree. The team has joined an AMERICAN FORESTS campaign to honor the heroes and victims of 9/11, and will begin with a planting in the ballfield's Monument Park.

The Memorial Tree Groves campaign, a partnership of AMERICAN FORESTS and retailer Eddie Bauer, aims to plant thousands of trees in New York City; Arlington, Virginia; Washington, DC; and Somerset County, Pennsylvania. to honor the victims of 9/11.

"As a native New Yorker, I'm thrilled that the Yankees have stepped up to help AMERICAN FORESTS plant Memorial Tree Groves to honor September 11," executive director Deborah Gangloff says. "The players, management, and fans--like so many other New Yorkers--have shown how this tragedy has rekindled the American spirit. Our nation's true strength lies in its people."

The tree that will be planted at Yankee Stadium's Monument Park is scheduled to be presented during a pregame ceremony September 8. Because the memorial groves are meant as a living testament to the police, firefighters, emergency workers, and citizens who risked their lives to aid others, AMERICAN FORESTS will invite representatives from each of these groups as well as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; former mayor Rudy Guiliani, whose presence during the tragedy inspired so many; and Governor George Pataki.

"We hope to plant the first tree at Yankee stadium with a plaque honoring 9/11," says Deborah Tymon, Yankees' vice president of marketing. "It is a symbol of new life and hope for the future. It will be a honored addition to our Monument Park."

This summer, the Yankees plan to auction off a tree during a home game and donate the proceeds to the Memorial Tree Groves campaign.

"We are incredibly proud to be working to develop the Eddie Bauer Memorial Tree Groves, says Mark Staudinger, vice president of marketing for Eddie Bauer. "With the help of our customers and all Eddie Bauer associates, our dream of building a living memorial to those who lost their lives on that tragic day will become a reality."

Through September the specialty retailer's customers can contribute a dollar or more at any of its 500-plus locations, through catalogs, or online at www.eddibauer.com. The company has planted nearly 5 million trees with AMERICAN FORESTS since 1996, and has pledged to raise $500,000 during this campaign.

The campaign will plant: 3,019 trees in New York and surrounding areas for World Trade Center victims; 184 trees in Arlington, Virginia, for Pentagon victims; and 40 trees in Pennsylvania for the Somerset County victims. Washington, DC, will plant at least 184 trees on Kingman Island, near the Pentagon crash site, to reflect the national scope of the tragedy.