Bills Damar Hamlin to Be Honored by Yankees for 'HOPE Week'
Take me out to the Buffalo Bills game.
Damar Hamlin is taking his story from Buffalo to The Bronx, as the Western New York defender will be part of the New York Yankees' "HOPE Week" that kicks off on July 3.
According to a release on the Yankees' site, the pregame festivities surrounding their next home game against the Baltimore Orioles will honor the resilience and recoveries of Hamlin and Sarah Taffet, a former Fordham softball player who, like Hamlin, endured a cardiological medical episode during an athletic competition.
In recognition of the instant medical responses that saved the lives of Hamlin and Taffet, Yankees personnel (said to include stars Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo) will engage in CPR training in the Yankee Stadium outfield. Hamlin and Taffet will then tour the stadium before throwing the ceremonial first pitch before the Yankees face their division rivals.
Hamlin's comeback from cardiac arrest during the Bills' January regular-season game in Cincinnati will be one of the big headlines behind their upcoming season. With his life saved by team training staff (led by assistant trainer Denny Kellington, who administered CPR to Hamlin on the Paycor Stadium field), Hamlin has extended his thanks beyond the field, raising awareness in CPR training and other life-saving techniques while recognizing first responders for their daily efforts.
The Yankees' HOPE Week (short for Helping Others Persevere & Excel") is said to be "rooted in the fundamental belief that acts of goodwill provide hope and encouragement to more than just the recipient of the gesture." This year's edition of Hope Week, the 14th since introduced in 2009, will run through the four-game MLB series against the Orioles and wrap up in the next set when the Chicago Cubs visit for an interleague trio.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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