By Sonya Hollins, editor; photos by Sean Hollins
Community Voices
*Note: see more photos of these events at: www.comvoicesonline.com/gallery
KALAMAZOO(MICH.)-Yankee Short stop Derek Jeter laughed as he heard hundreds of children roaring in excitement at the arrival of Santa Claus at the Rave Theatre Friday night in Kalamazoo, Mich. The children all were participants in the Turn 2 Foundation Holiday Express party highlighted by a private screening of the movie, “Alvin and the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked. As Jeter stood secretly in the isle he was not so much the “Mr. 3,000” hits man recently featured as Barbara Walter’s 2011 Most xx People. At that moment, without the flash of paparazzi, he was a native of Kalamazoo overflowing in the excitement to give back to the youth of his community.
“It’s hard to follow Santa,” he laughed.
However, while Santa is the man of the season, Jeter’s appearance overshadowed the man with the giant red velvet bag of goodies. Students jumped in their seats and yelled, “Derek,” to the man who has provided them with opportunities for programming which will highlight positive behavior and motivate them to live healthy lifestyles. The students then had the opportunity to meet Jeter up close and personal while receiving Yankee backpacks filled with Yankee T-shirts, a teddy bear, truck, and other goodies.
By the end of the evening, Jeter had given more than a merry Christmas to young children. Earlier he had been honored with the naming of the Kalamazoo Central High School baseball field, Derek Jeter Field. This invitation-only event held at Kalamazoo Central High School auditorium allowed city officials, school administrators, teachers, members of the school baseball team, and other guests an opportunity to witness this monumental occasion. Jeter was serenaded by a student quartet, and members of the Kalamazoo Central High School Jeter’s Leaders program presented a giant $10,000 check for the baseball program in honor of the Turn 2 Foundation.
Coaches who remembered Jeter were choked up at the opportunity to celebrate one of their former players who had achieved what many young baseball players dream; a chance to play in the major leagues. They said when entering any stadium, players and spectators alike get a tingling feeling when the stadium is named for someone they all admire. The naming of the school’s field for Jeter is something they say will be an inspiration to those who play and attend games there.
Coach Mike Hingum, said, “Derek is not just a baseball celebrity, he makes the world better everyday. He lives like we all should live. He is a role model we all should have.”
Coach Don Zulmer said Jeter was an ambassador for Kalamazoo Public Schools and the whole Kalamazoo community.
Jeter sat humbly next to this sister, Sharlee Jeter, also a Central graduate and currently President of the Turn 2 Foundation based in New York City. While his parents were not able to attend the event, he spoke of how they taught him “if I believed in myself, I can do (anything).” He gave credit to Principal Von Washington Jr. whose leadership inspired students to be the first to have President Barack Obama speak at their high school commencement address in 2010.
When asked if Jeter would consider being a commencement address speaker, he laughed.
“That’s too much pressure,” he said laughing. “I get nervous when I have to speak in front of large crowds. I have to prepare for weeks. I don’t remember who spoke at my commencement address; but I don’t think I’d want to follow the President.”
If he had a chance to encourage high school graduates, in an small setting that is, he said he would tell them,”follow your heart. You can’t go wrong when you do that.”
Jeter founded the Turn 2 Foundation in 1996. He held a fund raising dinner in 1997 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo with special guests such as the late Kirby Puckett, and Olympic medalist Dominique Dawes.
“I think we raised about $200,000 at that event and we were excited,” said Jeter who hasn’t been in Kalamazoo since 2009 when he last surprised students during his holiday event. Today the foundation has golf outings and other events which bring in millions of dollars toward the goal of motivating young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and “Turn 2” healthy lifestyles.
As Jeter reminisced about living in a home just behind the baseball field of Kalamazoo Central, he joked that he spent so much time on the field, he considered it practically his own.
“We’ve been wanting to name the field for Derek for years,” said Alex Lee, director of communications at Kalamazoo Public Schools. “The Turn 2 Foundation took the lead on it recently, and with the record 3,000 hits, it just seemed like perfect timing.
For decades, the field has been known as simply, Kalamazoo Central High School Baseball Field. Now, coaches say they will immediately make the changes on all upcoming schedules, the name of the field is Derek Jeter Field.
