21 Sep Swings for Yedelin – $13,195 raised for a family in need.
Every year, SLAMT1D’s Summer Classic at Little Fenway brings one of its most anticipated events to the plate: the Home Run Derby. Sixteen of the tournament’s best home run hitters step up, each with one goal – hit as many home runs as possible in 30 minutes. It’s a fan favorite for the competition alone, but there’s another layer to it that makes it matter even more: every home run means more support for a family chosen by SLAMT1D. Fans can pledge any dollar amount for any or every home run hit, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to that family.
This year, that family was Yedelin Garcia’s.
Yedelin is just eight years old, and has already faced more than most kids her age should have to. Not too long ago in February, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes – a diagnosis that changes everything overnight. For Yedelin, that burden came at an especially hard time: her family was also grieving the loss of her father. Her mother, now a working single mom who speaks little English, is navigating the challenges of caring for her children, including Yedelin’s brother, who also lives with epilepsy. In the midst of so much change, the support of a community can mean everything.
In just half an hour, the Derby did what it does best. Thirty minutes. Sixteen hitters. By the time the last wiffle ball landed $13,195 had been raised – every dollar going directly to Yedelin’s family.
Nate Cruz was crowned our Home Run Derby champ, hitting 14 home runs in the final round, raising $3,360 in that round alone!
The Derby is a huge reminder of what SLAMT1D’s Summer Classic is really about. Behind every home run swing was a community showing up for an eight-year-old girl learning to navigate a new diagnosis, while her family carried a loss no number can fix. What the Derby can do is lighten the load – and for Yedelin’s family, that’s exactly what it aimed to do.