Yankees present $10K check to Bayside-based Dancing Dreams during HOPE Week

As part of their annual HOPE Week, the New York Yankees honored Dancing Dreams on Wednesday, July 5, at the nonprofit’s Bayside location.

Photo courtesy of the New York Yankees

As part of their annual HOPE Week, the New York Yankees honored Dancing Dreams on Wednesday, July 5, at the nonprofit’s Bayside location. Yankees manager Aaron Boone, along with players Harrison Bader, Domingo Germán, Wandy Peralta and Albert Abreu, took part in a dance class at the studio before presenting a $10,000 check to assist the organization in furthering its impact.

Dancing Dreams was founded in 2002 by pediatric physical therapist Joann Ferrara to provide dance classes and performance opportunities for those between the ages of 3 and 21 who deal with medical or physical challenges. The dance classes are adapted in order to allow each participant to take part in them to the best of their skillset.

Ferrara has seen the nonprofit grow from teaching five children at one location to more than 130 each year across its three locations in Bayside, the Upper East Side and Plainview.

According to Ferrara, Dancing Dreams helps these kids a lot with their self-esteem by providing them with an environment where they can be themselves, as they are encouraged by Ferrara and the Dancing Dreams staff to dance with their hearts.

In addition to taking part in one of the Dancing Dreams classes and presenting a $10,000 donation, the Yankees invited the group to attend batting practice and participate in a pregame ceremony prior to their July 5 game against the Baltimore orioles. The pregame ceremony featured Ferrara receiving the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award from AmeriCorps. She also got to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

“Today was just an incredible day,” Ferrara said. “What an experience for the children, their parents and our organization. The players were incredible. Everyone from the organization was wonderful. The check was…