Graduate Student Domenica Ahmuty and former Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon outside of Blanton and Bohn Halls.
Photo Credit: Romayne Eaker-Kelley
Yankees fans had a special opportunity on Thursday Sept. 10 when former outfielder Johnny Damon came to the Montclair State University campus, and not empty-handed, either.
Damon arrived outside of Bohn and Blanton Halls in the Yankees Pops ice-cream truck, a vehicle which has been circulating the metropolitan area in the past few weeks to distribute free ice cream to baseball fans during hot summer days. These visits provide N.Y. and N.J. natives a chance to meet and interact with athletes from their favorite team and allow members of the Yankees to interact with fans in a casual setting.
The event was sponsored by Montclair State Auxiliary Services, according to the EatatMontclair Facebook page, and was just one of the stops on the Yankees Pops van’s trip around N.J. They also visited Hoboken on Thursday and have recently made stops in the Bronx, the Upper East Side, Union Square and Midtown in New York City, according to the Yankees’ twitter.
During the event, Damon interacted with students both in a personal one-on-one level as he handed them Yankees Pops, individually wrapped ice cream snacks, and also through general announcements which were projected through the van’s sound system into the surrounding area. “I know you’re missing class right now,” Damon said in one such amplified announcement to attendants, “but the goal this year is to get straight As.”
Students lined up to get ice cream, take pictures and chat with Damon. Graduate student Domenica Ahmuty shared her picture with the outfielder on Facebook, saying, “Johnny Damon was on campus today handing out ice pops. Pretty cool!! He’s a chill guy and it was nice to meet him.”‘
Follow more of the Yankees Pops truck’s adventures by tracking the hashtag “#YankeesPops” on your favorite social media outlet.
