The Yankees for the last three years have been "quietly sending flowers to the families and police departments of slain law enforcement officers across the country." The gesture "grew from something the Yankees have done for decades -- sending flowers to funerals of officers killed in the New York metropolitan area." The effort expanded in '15, when Yankees Senior VP & Chief Security Officer SONNY HIGHT, a former NYPD detective, said that he was "moved to act." The goal is to "deliver flowers to the funerals or station houses of every officer killed in action nationwide," but the Yankees "acknowledge that it is difficult to keep pace" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/14).
POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE: Former NFLer RON DAYNE, who won the Heisman Trophy at the Univ. of Wisconsin, was "among the graduates" at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday (GREENBAYPRESSGAZETTE.com, 5/12)....Cavaliers G GEORGE HILL on Saturday "missed the team's practice" so that he could receive his diploma from IUPUI (WASHINGTONTIMES.com, 5/13).
NAMES: IndyCar has become a "charitable partner of SeriousFun Children's Network, a group with roots that trace" to one of PAUL NEWMAN's "proudest philanthropic passion projects: The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp" (INDYSTAR.com, 5/11)....Singer CARRIE UNDERWOOD on Thursday made an "unexpected, and very public, offer" to "sing the national anthem at T-Mobile Arena" during the Golden Knights-Jets Western Conference Finals. But Golden Knights officials, who "learned of Underwood's anthem overture the same time as her social-media followers," yesterday "issued a statement politely declining" her offer (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 5/13)....WNBA Las Vegas Aces F A'JA WILSON is "getting a statue" at the Univ. of South Carolina, where she was the national college player of the year in '17 (AP, 5/12)....DWYANE WADE and wife GABRIELLE UNION "reserved two big screens at AMC Aventura 24" in Miami yesterday for two showings of Union's new movie, "BREAKING IN." The couple invited people to view the film for free on a first-come, first-served basis (MIAMIHERALD.com, 5/13)....UFC fighter VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO attended her "first NASCAR race" Saturday night at Kansas Speedway, the Monster Energy Cup Series KC Masterpiece 400 (AP, 5/12)....Actor DONNIE WAHLBERG and Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT were in attendance yesterday for the Celtics' Game 1 win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 5/13).
