Ten-year-old Pa. native Cassidy Warner produced a selfie video in April about being bullied in elementary school. The Yankees responded with a video of their own saying they have her back. That includes a visit to the Bronx on Tuesday, June 12, 2018 (6/12/18), for a game of kickball and lunch, followed by throwing out the first pitch before the game against Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals.
Her story went viral in April. Cassidy Warner, a 10-year-old from Duryea, Pa., shared her troubling tale of being bullied at school by producing a selfie video that she put on Facebook without her parents’ knowledge.
The Yankees responded with a video of their own, to let Cassidy know they have her back.
The video produced by the Yankees included an invite for Cassidy to come to a game and meet some of the players.
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That meeting is happening Tuesday, beginning with a game of kickball with several players, including Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
The day culminates with Cassidy throwing out the first pitch before Tuesday’s game against the Washington Nationals.
Here are more details of the visit, per Yankees PR:
Names can be just as harmful as sticks and stones. Just ask Cassidy Warner.
The 10-year-old Scranton, Pennsylvania, fourth-grader exhibited bravery beyond her years this March, posting a video on Facebook without her parents’ knowledge, detailing her struggles with being bullied. She does not speak in her video, instead holding up white sheets of paper with handwritten descriptions of bullying she has endured at school. She writes that classmates have spit on her, pulled her hair and spilled milk on her jacket. They’ve pushed and kicked her and threatened her life, and whenever she sits at a lunch table, other kids leave.
Her sadness was not limited to her own experiences. She also hoped her video could affect change in the world, ending her post with a message that read, “This is my story… Stop bullying! Not just for me for other kids too. Please share my story!”
Buoyed by the power of social media, her video began to be noticed around the world. Actor Hugh Jackman posted a heartfelt message back to her, saying, “Hi Cassidy …. I’m Hugh. I want you to know you’re loved, special & smart. You’re strong, funny & beautiful both inside and out. BULLYING IS NOT OK. Please never stop asking for help. You will find it from people and places you never thought possible. I’m your friend.”
When her story came to the attention of the Yankees, the team offered her their support and let the world know that they are against bullying by filming a video of their own featuring virtually the entire roster and manager Aaron Boone. The team let her know that the Yankees were her friends, and that they’d love to have her at their lunch table in the clubhouse.
“It meant so much to her and our family to see the Yankees get behind her,” said her father, James Warner. “What makes me so proud of Cassidy was that it wasn’t just about her. She wanted to make things better for other kids.
“Things are improving for her now, but it’s still hard. The school has addressed the bullying, but the kids aren’t so fast to change. As tough as it’s been, she has made a difference in how people look at bullying. Because of all the support she has received, she has hope when she didn’t before.”
(NJ Advance Media’s Randy Miller and John Munson contributed to this report.)
Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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