4 minute read
Communities Built for Children
Communities Built for Children
Have you ever heard of the phrase, “little pitchers have big ears?” The adults in my childhood would recite this phrase when the conversation became inappropriate for a child. My parents deliberately and thoughtfully created a safe and age-appropriate community around me to protect my childhood and development into a responsible individual. Communities are responsible for the most vulnerable – children.
Communities of farmers and ranchers across the nation are busily preparing for harvest and cooler weather. Critical tasks related to this time of the year include caring for crops and livestock, managing equipment and land, mending fences, cultivating the land, fertilizing, rotating crops, moving herds, evaluating the past year, and preparing for next year. In Linden, California, Aaron’s hometown, “We are known for two commodities… cherries and walnuts. We produce the best quality in these two crops because of our cool summer evenings in Linden. In July and August, we irrigate the orchards and prepare for the fall harvest,” explained Albert DalPorto, owner of Albert DalPorto Farms, Inc. in Linden. Albert continues, “We will start the walnut harvest at the end of September and continue until the end of October. Our walnuts will be shipped all over the world beginning in early October for the world to enjoy. When we wrap up the walnut harvest, we button up the elds for dormancy and pray that we have enough rain water over the winter to have a beautiful spring that will allow us to bring Linden cherries and walnuts to you. Our cherries and walnuts are in every grocery retail store in the United States.”
There is something else that Linden, California is known for. Albert goes on to say, “We are a tight community that has 4th, 5th, and 6th generations of farming families. The dedication and hard work that the Linden Farmers put into their crops are amazing. You will see someone going to their eld at 5 am and will see them again at 5 pm working diligently to grow a beautiful cherry and walnut.” Linden Farmers meet daily to share their tasks, the progress of their harvest, as well as talk about what Aaron did last night on the eld. Did you see that catch he made? Did you see how hard he hit that home run? Did you see him playing catch with the kids? As Albert stated, ”The Linden community is very proud of Aaron Judge as a New York Yankee, but we are even more proud of him as a person.”
It is obvious to me that our community of farmers and ranchers has had a significant impact on the establishment of the Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation. Growing up in a community of hard workers, a family environment, supporting individuals, traditional events, and good neighbors, has influenced Aaron to create a mission that reflects many of our friends and neighbors. In the last couple of months, the Foundation has been involved in a host of events to build responsible citizens.
26 grass root organizations have been awarded our $2,500 mini-grant totaling $65,000 to support projects or programs that align with our mission statement and address our comprehensive components.
200 youth attended the Aaron Judge Baseball ProCamp held on July 21 at Fordham University in Bronx, NY.
155 students and adult mentors attended the #ALLRISE2HELP events in Oakland A’s and Los Angeles Angels’ stadiums. Aaron spoke to the group about using social media platforms in a responsible manner.
The ALL RISE online store continues to grow with hats and t-shirts for children and adults. Watch for updates on new merch for the winter.
ALL RISE is the presenting sponsor for the Stockton Emergency Food Bank’s Run & Walk Against Hunger to support the hungry by providing food and health education. Children find it difficult to succeed as a student on an empty stomach.
We collaborated with Rawlings on the Foundation Glove campaign. For each Aaron Judge Foundation glove purchased, one will be donated. See page 6 for more details.
Our NYC “ALL-Star Evening” gala will be held on January 25, 2024, to share ALL RISE program information, gather support for our programs, and benefit the children in the Bronx.
Check out the communities you belong to. Just like Linden has continued to support Aaron, how can you celebrate your community? How will you support and guide the young minds in your community? Take the plunge. It takes #Just5minutes, according to Aaron!
