News
January 21, 2016NY Yankees’ Shortstop Didi Gregorius to Appear at Center Telethon
Didi Gregorius, shortstop with the New York Yankees, will be a special sports guest at the 56th Annual Center for Disability Services Telethon on Sunday, January 31. Gregorius will join Jason Pierre-Paul, JPP, of the New York Giants, at the Radisson Hotel Albany, formerly the Holiday Inn Albany, at 205 Wolf Road. Both players will appear in the sports area, presented by UHY LLP, from noon to 3 p.m. Gregorius will sign autographs and meet fans. Baseballs and photographs will be available for sale on site, with an additional fee for a Gregorius autograph. Pricing details will be announced soon. Proceeds from the telethon benefit the Center and its divisions, Down Syndrome Aim High Resource Center, Prospect Center in Queensbury and St. Margaret’s Center in Albany.
Gregorius was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His father pitched for the Amsterdam Pirates and his mother played on the Dutch national softball team. His family moved to Curacao where he played soccer and basketball as a child. Gregorius was discovered by a scout and came to the United States when he signed with the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 2007. Gregorius has played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees acquired him in December 2014, to succeed Derek Jeter.
The New York Yankees have a large fan base in Albany and have played a major part in the Center for Disability Services Telethon for years. Past special guests include Gaylord Perry, (the late) Ryne Duren, Rusty Torres and Frank Tepedino (2002), Goose Gossage (2003), Jorge Posada (2004), Joe Girardi (2005), Bubba Crosby (2006), Scott Proctor (2007), Shelley Duncan (2008), Brian Bruney (2009), Brett Gardner (2010), David Robertson (2011), Joba Chamberlain (2012), Cody Eppley (2013), Shawn Kelley (2014) and Adam Warren (2015).
In order to keep the lines moving, a photography service will take photos of fans with Pierre-Paul for a fee, and they will leave with a processed photo. A limited number of photos and footballs pre-signed by JPP will be for sale.
Sponsorship opportunities, which include a meet and greet with one or both athletes, are being offered to individuals and businesses. Contact the Foundation at the Center for Disability Services at 518-944-2120 for information.
The all live, all local telethon broadcast airs on WXXA/FOX23 (cable channel 8 or check listings) from noon to 7 p.m. The Center for Disability Services is known as the place where people get better at life. For more telethon information, go to to the Center website.
