Lauren’s Kids & the New York Yankees: Striking Out Child Abuse in the Bronx

Last week, Lauren’s Kids again joined forces with the New York Yankees and four Bronx-area public schools to embark on the second annual Kids Care Advocacy Walk. We walked with 400 elementary school students — who have been learning lessons from our Safer, Smarter Kids — and 100 of their teachers from their schools, through the streets of the Bronx, to Yankee Stadium and back.

While walking, students chanted “Whose streets?” “OUR STREETS”, “Lace up! Speak up! Stop Child Abuse!”, and “Striking Out Child Abuse!” It was so powerful to see these tough streets filled with young advocates who were walking to show their community that their voices matter and to say that all children deserve to be safe from harm.

When we reached Yankee Stadium, Lauren joined student leaders, school administrators and Yankees organization members for a short program reiterating the meaning of the Walk. Thanks to generous contributions from Lauren’s Kids sponsors and fundraising from student leaders at Bronx schools, we were able to donate 200 teddy bears (outfitted with encouraging notes from school students) and copies of Lauren’s Kingdom to the Safe Horizons Bronx Children’s Advocacy Center, which serves more than 1,000 child victims of abuse annually.
As you can see from some of these photos, it was truly an amazing day filled with joy and meaning.

(And check us out on the news!)

Special thanks to the District 9 Schools, NYPD, Safe Horizons Children’s Advocacy Center and the New York Yankees for helping us shine light in dark places!