New York Yankees players, including stars Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, gathered Monday night for the Third Annual Willow Gala, hosted by pitcher Carlos Rodón and his wife Ashley. The event, held at Skylight at the Refinery in New York City, successfully raised over $1 million for The Carlos Rodón Foundation.
The foundation supports couples navigating the emotional and financial challenges associated with infertility and pregnancy loss. Yankees players and their wives were in attendance, trading their baseball uniforms for formal attire.
Carlos Rodón wore a black suit with a patterned jacket, while his wife Ashley chose a green satin dress. Other notable attendees included Aaron Judge and his wife Samantha, who wore a navy blue suit and a white dress with yellow flowers, respectively. YES Network's Yankees clubhouse reporter Meredith Marakovits also attended, opting for a blue dress.
A number of other Yankees players were present, including Austin Wells, Ben Rice, Cam Schlittler, George Lombard Jr., Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, Ryan McMahon, Ryan Weathers, Ryan Yarbrough, Spencer Jones, Tim Hill, Trent Grisham, and Will Warren.
During the gala, the Rodóns presented the Seeds of Hope Award to Samantha Busch. The award recognized her and her late husband, NASCAR star Kyle Busch, for their commitment to improving access to fertility care through The Bundle of Joy Fund, which collaborates with the Rodón Foundation to provide Willow Grants.
"There is nothing like telling a couple that they have received a grant and seeing relief and hope flood in … Thank you for honoring Kyle tonight," Samantha Busch stated. She added, "In the middle of so much devastation, there is still light and hope in seeing something we built together continue to change lives. I know Kyle would be so proud of that."
Kyle Busch died in May at the age of 41. The Willow Grant, named in honor of the Rodóns' daughter, assists couples in covering the costs of fertility treatments such as IVF. Carlos and Ashley Rodón established their foundation following their personal experiences with infertility and pregnancy loss.