Yankees donate $1M to Virginia Tech

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Yankees donated $1 million on Wednesday to a fund to aid the healing process at Virginia Tech following the mass killings last month.

The Yankees will also play an exhibition game next year on or near the Blacksburg campus, the proceeds from which will be given to Virginia Tech, where a gunman murdered 32 people, mostly students, before killing himself.

Virginia Tech president Charles Steger accepted the donation at Yankee Stadium and threw out the first pitch at Wednesday's game against the Boston Red Sox.

"I want to thank the Yankees for this extraordinary generosity," Steger told reporters.

"This is the largest single donation that we've received. I don't believe any other sports organization has made a contribution. Some individual athletes have done so but nothing of this magnitude."

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement: "The events that took place this spring in Virginia have deeply affected us all.

"But the Virginia Tech community has shown great spirit and resolve during this difficult time, and the New York Yankees are proud to join so many others in supporting the healing process."

The Virginia Tech "Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund" provides grief counseling, memorials and general assistance to victims and their families.