EN ESPAÑOL

Growing up in Kalamazoo, Mich., New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and his younger sister, Sharlee, witnessed firsthand the value of community service.

Their father Charles has a Ph.D. in sociology and spent several years counseling patients with alcohol and drug problems. Their mother Dorothy was a fixture at PTA meetings, school functions and sports practices. In addition, Jeter's favorite ballplayer, former Bronx Bomber Dave Winfield, had his own foundation which promoted health, literacy and self-esteem among thousands of young people. "When I make it," Jeter told his family, "that's what I'm going to do."

It didn't take long for him to keep that promise. In June 1996, Jeter was halfway through a Rookie of the Year season in which he hit .314 and helped the Yankees to a World Series title. Sharing a pizza in a Detroit hotel room, Jeter, just 22, told his dad he was ready for his own charity. Then and there, they laid plans for the Turn 2 Foundation, an effort that would work to keep kids away from drugs and alcohol.

Charles, well aware of the dangers of chemical dependency through his counseling experience, gave up his private practice to handle the foundation's day-to-day operations. "I knew I would be helping a greater number of people," he says. Dorothy, the Executive Director of the Foundation and Sharlee, the Vice President, also serve on the Turn 2 Board of Directors, but Derek calls the shots.

The Turn 2 Foundation has awarded over $8 million for a variety of causes in New York City, Western Michigan and Tampa. And with each flash of his million-dollar smile, whether in public appearances, hospital visits or chats from the on-deck circle with young fans, Jeter influences kids just as Winfield did him.

"You dream as a youngster to play professional sports, and I don't think you realize the magnitude of the impact you can have on someone's life," Jeter says. "It can be overwhelming."

Most of Turn 2's funds are directed to its signature programs that have been set up within the Foundation. Turn 2 also funds substance abuse prevention programs aimed at high-risk youths. It has made grants to the YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, the Outreach Project and Phoenix House, among others. In partnership with The Jackie Robinson Foundation, Turn 2 has a fully endowed college scholarship in Jeter's name. The Turn 2 After School Program provides arts and education activities for kids in Harlem, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. And Jeter's Leaders has rewarded teenagers who are committed to drug and alcohol free lives, academic excellence and community service. "They're wise beyond their years," Jeter says.

Along with donating his own money to projects, Jeter conducts baseball and anti-drug clinics, hosts outings to Yankee games and organizes fundraising dinners that have included his Yankee teammates, baseball greats, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, and Tommy Lasorda, and Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

"Derek wants to set a good example, he wants to be a role model," says Dr. Jeter. "Seeing that, as his father, I'm extremely proud."