Tis' the Season

It's the holiday season and the Yankees are giving back to the community. Mariano Rivera, Bobby Abreu, Joba Chamberlain, and Derek Jeter have all been involved in recent charitable activities.

Joba was bringing smiles to the faces of children yesterday at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's pediatric unit. The rookie wore a Yankees' blue Santa cap as he talked with the patients and their families, taking pitchers, and signing autographs.

"The opportunities that I had when I was younger were few and far between," Chamberlain said. "I'm blessed to be put in this situation, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for a lot of people. If I can help one or two people, that makes it all worth it."

Derek Jeter and his Turn 2 Foundation took in a private screening of "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep," which opens to the public on Christmas day. The kids were treated to a red carpet experience, paparazzi included.

"It's one of the things that I really look forward to," Jeter said. "When I started the foundation, we never thought it would be as big as it is now. We just left Michigan and we have a lot of things going down in Florida. It's a lot bigger and better than I ever imagined."

Mariano Rivera and Bobby Abreu were guests at Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, where a group of top local students selected by the Fundacion Dominicana de Deportes en Nueva York, got to meet the 2 Yankees as well as former big-leauger, Roberto Alomar.

Mariano told the kids to follow their dreams, and he and Abreu handed out to toys to the kids.

"I love it, because it's great to give back," Rivera said. "I don't believe in just taking."

"To spend time with the kids is what it's all about, and what we really wanted," Abreu said. "We're just looking to get a little smile for those kids. They did a really good job in school, so they get a present."

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