YOGI BERRA MUSEUM & LEARNING CENTER 2018 YEAR IN REVIEW
“It ain’t over...” With your support, in 2018 we doubled the number of Museum visitors and doubled the number of young people attending our education programs compared to last year. We were also named “Best Designed Museum in New Jersey” by Architectural Digest. Every day, Yogi’s legacy of respect, sportsmanship and excellence continues to grow and connect community. Thank you for making this glowing review necessary.
PITCH! The Indoor Interactive Baseball Experience opened in June.
EXHIBITIONS That Make You Move Batter Up! Arriving in March, a new display of eight iconic bats allows visitors to touch the lumber that was touched by greatness, including Babe Ruth, Roberto Clemente and Yogi himself. PITCH! The Indoor Interactive Baseball Experience Big kids, little kids, seniors, Hallof-Famers, special needs groups, families spanning multiple generations – a remarkable range of players steps up to test their stuff every day since our state-of-the-art pitching installation opened in June.*
DUNK: The Science of Basketball TM is in the house through August 2019.
DUNK: The Science of Basketball TM Opened in November, our temporary hoops-based installation explores the intersection of physics and athletics in basketball concepts such as hang time, jump shots and wingspan through handson, immersive activities for all ages.**
*PITCH: made possible through the support of the Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, The Hyde and Watson Foundation and Stalker Radar. **DUNK, The Science of Basketball TM: on loan from Science and Arts Engagement New York.
EDUCATION Is a Team Sport In 2018 we partnered with the best players in the field to deepen the impact and ensure the excellence of our growing education programs. In addition to the hundreds of teachers, school administrators and curricular specialists who worked closely with us, we’ve teamed up with: Teach for America At the forefront of education equity for three decades, TFA is collaborating in the creation of new Museum programs focused on immigration, race and gender, helping us ensure the cultural sensitivity and community responsiveness of our approach to these critical and timely topics. Siemens The global manufacturing powerhouse joined us in 2018 to pilot a Yogi Berra Museum Design Challenge that will expand state-wide in 2019, teaching 3D design software to high school students exploring careers in engineering.
Montclair State University The MSU Physics Department worked with our team to develop engaging, standardsbased lessons in STEM built around our new interactive exhibits. Montclair History Center A joint program supported by the NJ Historical Commission will offer Museum field trips that explore the structural roots of discrimination through local history and sports.
84% of the students attending our education programs are from underresourced school districts with severely limited access to academic enrichment opportunities.
Recipients of the 2018 Best Teammate Award with their families and supporters.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS That Connect Yogi always stood for doing the right thing. Your support has allowed us to bring together community in the spirit of doing right by others. Best Teammate Award In May, the Museum recognized 33 Super Essex Conference high school athletes who embody the values of respect and teamwork that made Yogi a leader on and off the field.* Veterans Outreach In honor of Yogi’s D-Day service to country, our November Veterans Resources Fair leveraged the universal attraction of sports to provide probono assistance to military and their families in need of support.** Inspiring Conversations Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bernard King spoke with Pulitzer prize-winning sports journalist Ira Berkow about his athletic career and the sources of his strength and motivation.***
Yogi Berra Tribute Day Our annual September celebration, free to the public, was coupled this year with the NJ Jackals Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival. The day saw an all-time record-setting attendance for the Museum, proving anew that it really ain’t over.
*The Best Teammate Award was made possible through the support of Investors Bank. **The Veterans Resources Fair was sponsored by Duane Morris. *** The King-Berkow evening was sponsored by the Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation.
2018 YOGI BERRA MUSEUM AWARDS Our second Yogi Berra Museum Awards ceremony on April 20, 2018 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City was a magical night of celebration, honoring a stellar group of individuals who exemplify the qualities that made Yogi a national treasure. Teammate Award Willie Randolph, NY Yankee Great Presented by Kelly Ripa Humanitarian Award John J. Filippelli, President of Production & Programming, YES Network Presented by Bob Costas Service Award Nick Swisher, Former MLB Player, Sports Analyst Presented by Ron Guidry
Nick Swisher, accepting his award.
Carmen Berra Award Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-Winning Actress Presented by Dan Lauria
Don’t Miss Out in 2019! Celebrate with us! Yogi Berra Museum Awards Dinner, Thursday, April 11. Play with us! Yogi Berra Museum Celebrity Golf Classic, Monday, June 10. Visit us! See firsthand how your support is making an enormous difference in Yogi’s name. You can observe a lot by watching. For more information, visit www.yogiberramuseum.org
Yankee greats Willie Randolph and Ron Guidry co-chair our golf event.