Turn 2 Foundation

The Turn 2 Foundation is a charity organization founded by New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter in 1996. The Foundation was established to help children and teenagers avoid drug and alcohol addiction, and to reward those who show high academic achievement and adopt healthier lifestyles.citeweb|url=http://www.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/index.jsp|title=DerekJeter.com — Turn 2 Foundation|accessdate=2008-04-26] Members of Jeter's family make up a large portion of the foundation's board of directors, including his father, Dr. S. Charles Jeter, who is President of the foundation and responsible for much of its day-to-day running.citeweb|url=http://www.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/factsheet.jsp|title=DerekJeter.com — Turn 2 Foundation — Factsheet|accessdate=2008-04-26] [Ian O'Connor, [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/99play/wsfs41.htm For Yanks' Jeter, life is beautiful] , "Westchester Journal News", October 26, 1999. Accessed 17 May 2008.]

Mission and scope

The mission statement of the Turn 2 Foundation 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."citeweb|url=http://www.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/index.jsp|title=DerekJeter.com — Turn 2 Foundation|accessdate=2008-04-26]

History

Jeter proposed the idea of starting his own foundation to his father in 1996. The Jeter family began forming the foundation over pizza in a Detroit, Michigan hotel room.citeweb|url=http://www.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/overview.jsp|title=DerekJeter.com — Turn 2 Foundation — Overview|accessdate=2008-04-26] The organization's name was chosen, besides the baseball reference to a double play (and Jeter's uniform number), to demonstrate the goal of giving youths a place to "turn to", besides drugs and alcohol. [cite web | url=http://derekjeter.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/players/jeter_derek/turn2/index.jsp |title=Turn 2 Foundation Mission Statement | author= | date= | publisher=] citeweb|url=http://www.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/overview.jsp|title=DerekJeter.com — Turn 2 Foundation — Overview|accessdate=2008-04-26]

Over the past twelve years, Turn 2 raised over $8 million in grants to programs located in New York City, the Western Michigan area, and Tampa, Florida.citeweb|url=http://derekjeter.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/grants.jsp|title=DerekJeter.com — Turn 2 Foundation — Grant Information|accessdate=2008-04-26]

References

Further Sources
*Jack Curry, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B07EEDB133EF937A15751C1A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print Baseball: Doing a Good Turn] , "New York Times", December 24, 1997. Accessed 17 May 2008.
*Marc Topkin, [http://www.sptimes.com/2004/01/20/Sports/Celebrities_help_Jete.shtml Celebrities help Jeter support area groups] , "St. Petersburg Times", January 20, 2004. Accessed 17 May 2008.
*Marc Topkin, [http://www.sptimes.com/2008/01/29/news_pf/Hillsborough/Jeter_sponsors_new_pr.shtml Jeter sponsors new program for teenagers] , "St. Petersburg Times", January 29, 2008. Accessed 17 May 2008.

External links

* [http://www.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/index.jsp Turn 2 Foundation] Official site