Derek Jete is remembered for his clutch performances for the New York Yankees. Now retired, the 5X World Series champion has plenty of things to do, from business to philanthropic work—giving back is something that he truly believes in. Recently, Jeter’s collection of screen-printed paintings by pop artists was displayed at Art Miami. These paintings immortalize Jeter’s iconic moments from “The Jump” to “The Swing.”

However, this project is more than just displays of Derek Jeter’s best moments. It is a project tied to causes close to the Yankee star’s heart and his passion for philanthropy. This is because a portion of the proceeds generated from these artworks will be donated to Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation and the Perry J. Cohen Foundation. The foundation was created to honor the memory of Perry Cohen, a 14-year-old, super-talented boy who went missing at sea in 2015.

The missing boy who wore Jeter’s number 2

The search for Perry Cohen, sadly, after a 55,000-square-nautical-mile search led by the U.S. Coast Guard, came to an end. This disappearance was a huge loss to the family, and Pamela, his mother, founded the nonprofit to champion things Perry loved and cared about the most—marine education, the arts, and also boating safety. As far as the Derek Jeter connection goes, Perry was not just a fan but a master emulator!

So, at just ten years old, Perry had the chance to meet his hero Derek Jeter. This meeting left a lasting impression on him, and he took up Jeter’s persona. He wasn’t a copycat; rather, he took the great characteristics of Jeter. Pamela says that his son was an All-Star player his entire life, as he wore the No. 2 jersey and even signed his middle name as Jeter.

Pamela mentioned, “It’s really just something that, while it’s been such a tragedy and so life-altering for us, it’s something that has come full circle in a magical way, if that makes sense, to be able to collaborate with Turn 2 and with Derek, who’s really been wonderful to us.” For her, Perry’s legacy becomes a little more bright with this collaboration.

How the Derek Jeter art collection came to life

Derek Jeter would be the first to admit that he is no art expert. Growing up, his sole purpose was just baseball, not brushstrokes! But even Derek Jeter couldn’t help but get interested in an art collection full of some of his career highlights when it was pitched to him. “First reaction was like, ‘Huh?’” Jeter recalled. But it all changed when he met the artist behind the legendary idea—Russel Young.

Derek Jeter met the man behind the “Diamond Dust” screen painting technique. And that was it; he was all in. Over the summer, Jeter and Russel Young met to sift through some of the iconic moments of Jeter’s career. And it didn’t take long for them to land on two iconic images. One was a signature jumper throw, and another was a leadoff homer in Game 4 of the World Series 2000. These plays had defined Jeter’s mantle as a player, so really important pictures.

Russell is a celebrated artist from England, and his work impressed Derek Jeter. “He showed me some of his process, and it’s incredible,” said the 5x New York Yankee champion. He even mentioned how one cannot replicate Young’s artwork at home. Now, these handpicked pictures that Young gave another life to are displayed at Art Miami for all to admire.

Are you making your way up there to witness the collection in-person? Let us know below.