A recent USA Today story tells of Derek Jeter's commitment to his former hometown.
Almost as famous for his good looks as his skills on the diamond, the New York Yankees captain and celebrity formed Turn 2 Foundation, which promotes positive lifestyles in kids and is run by his family, according to the story.
Excerpt:
Jeter's foundation focuses its efforts in New York, Tampa ... and Kalamazoo. It maintains a satellite office on the Western Michigan University campus and has awarded more than $3.5 million in grants in the area since its 1996 inception.
"I don't care if I'm playing and living somewhere else," Jeter says at the Yankees spring training base in Tampa. "Michigan is where I grew up, and it's where I had my first foundation event. It's where I'll continue to keep the foundation going."
Jeter, 35, comes to town about once a year, and his father, Turn 2 vice chairman Charles Jeter, tends to foundation business in town every couple of months.
The 10-time All-Star surprised about 250 children when he showed up at the Turn 2 holiday party in December. Later, he and girlfriend Minka Kelly, a 29-year-old actress, dropped by his alma mater, Kalamazoo Central High School, to say hello to former teachers. Jeter said he usually makes a point to drive by his old home, a modest split-level that backs up to the school's athletic fields.
For more on Jeter's foundation, including comments from Kalamazooans, read
the entire story.
Source: USA Today
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