John Cena and the Yankees surprise son of Charleston shooting victim
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Chris Singleton lost his mother in the horrific Charleston shooting that occurred in June, and it would be understandable to be filled with hatred by such a heinous event. This young man chose to ignore that hate. He picked love, even if that meant forgiving the man who murdered his mother. Now WWE superstar John Cena and the New York Yankees are giving back to the inspirational college student.
Singleton was surprised on The Today Show on Monday by meeting Cena and members of the Yankees. Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner and Dellin Betances told him his day in the city would include throwing out the first pitch at the Yankees' game.
Singleton was stunned.
Before throwing out the first pitch, Singleton got some swings in during batting practice:
#HOPEWeek honoree @csingleton__2 takes some cuts in the cage at The Stadium. pic.twitter.com/V3jfyt6H1W
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 17, 2015 And here’s the pitch!
What #HOPEWeek is all about: http://t.co/GrPjcukvLd pic.twitter.com/0DPoy0vvVJ
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 17, 2015 To top it off, the Yankees made a generous donation.
Brett Gardner and the #Yankees are proud to honor @csingleton__2. #HOPEWeek pic.twitter.com/YiSvMkEQjJ
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 17, 2015 
