population-we™: I Heart Celebrity Causes Highlights Derek Jeter's Turn 2

As a society we like our celebrities and tend to support the causes they endorse with this status. Our celebrities are those that entertain and inspire us such as those that act in the movies, on television and the stage, our favorite musicians, athletes from our favorite teams or provide national pride representing at the Olympics, the authors of our favorite literary works and those that provide contributions in the world of art. Each month in this new population-we™ (pop-we) series, I Heart Celebrity Causes, a celebrity will be chosen and the cause that they promote will be looked at.

I Heart Celebrity Causes!

This month in the third installment of I Heart Celebrity Causes the focus is on starting shortstop and team captain of the New York Yankees Derek Jeter and his Turn 2 Foundation. Jeter established the Foundation during his rookie season in 1996 to promote healthy lifestyles among youth. Another tenant of the organization is to provide guidance to help youth avoid drugs and alcohol.

The name Turn 2 is borrowed from the baseball term when middle infielders start off a double play by getting the first out at second base. Jeter decided to start the foundation on a road trip to Detroit while eating pizza in his hotel room. Nearly 20 years later the foundation has deep roots in Western Michigan, Tampa, FL and New York City, which are all areas Jeter has close ties. Since its beginning the Turn 2 Foundation has helped thousands of youths by awarding more than $19 million in grants.

Jeter was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1996 and after a career that has seen him be a 12-time All-Star he announced he will retire from playing after the 2014 season. That will cap a long baseball journey that starting with playing T-ball at age 5 in Kalamazoo, MI. The Yankees later drafted Jeter with the sixth pick of the first round in 1992 out of Central High School in Kalamazoo.

The stated mission of Turn 2: "is to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and 'Turn 2' healthy lifestyles". Those programs include the Jackie Robinson Recreation Center in Harlem in New York City, the St. John's Recreation Center in Brooklyn, NY, the St James Recreation Center in Bronx, NY and the Sorrentino Recreation Center in Queens, NY. Other signature programs include the Jeter Meter in New York City, Jeter's Leaders in both

New York City and West Michigan and the Derek Jeter Center at Phoenix House in Tampa.

Jeter also uses his position in the public eye to raise awareness in children that good choices must be practiced daily. Each year he hosts the Turn 2 Foundation Dinner and the 18th Annual Dinner on June 1, 2014 raised over $1 million. The Jeter's Leaders of New York and Kalamazoo travel to Washington D.C for a biannual service project and Jeter stresses the importance of their making an annual visit to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for educational purposes.

If you would like to make a donation to the Turn 2 Foundation you can visit their Donate to Turn 2 Foundation page.

Most importantly, Bravo to pop-we I Heart Celebrity Causes--Derek Jeter--for his Turn 2 Foundation!

-population-we™ blog post by John Bohan

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