In support of YES! of America United, Tampa Yankees donated $3 of every of every ticket sold for their August 14th baseball game against the Lakeland Flying Tigers. To further celebrate the occasion, Suncoast Asian Cultural Association, SACA, opened the event with a vibrant and lively dragon dance. Following the dance, Jillian Joyce performed a beautiful operatic rendition of the National Anthem. The performance by Jillian Joyce who lives with cerebral palsy is a true epitome of YES! of America United’s message “YES! I can.” As the founder of YES! and the key force behind this event, Becki Forsell threw the first pitch to start the game. Becki leads YES! with the mindset to encourage people living with disabilities to live engaged lives as members of their community. This is a message that clearly resounds throughout the community, as seen by the wide range of support in attendance, such as the Boy Scouts of Tampa Bay, Chase Zen Organization and USF Mass Communication Class of 2020. After the 7th Inning, Ann Poonkasem, Miss National Patriot, and Rachel Barcellona, Miss Florida International, sang God Bless America. The baseball game was nearly a tie, ending with the Tampa Yankees scoring 8 runs, and the Lakeland Flying Tigers scoring 9 runs.
Article by: Jessie Collier / Photo by: Eric Lu and Steve Power
