Derek Jeter ‘Community GOAT Contest’ Winners Include 2 Morris County Residents

PARSIPPANY, NJ — New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter and the telecommunications company Optimum are celebrating community leaders, including a Parsippany business owner and the leader of a Dover day-care center.

The company invited customers and small businesses owners to share how they are making a positive impact in their community by acting as leaders, mentors, and role models through their “Derek Jeter Community GOAT Contest” (GOAT stands for “greatest of all time").

The contest winners included two other New Jersey residents, who got to travel to Miami, Florida and have lunch with Jeter and representatives from the company on Feb. 9. Optimum awarded each winner $1,000 to donate to a charity or organization of their choice that is personally important to them.

Mike Hatler, who established the Bedding Shoppe in Parsippany, and Dr. Bruce Kahn of the Dover Child Care Center were among the 10 contest winners, according to Optimum, who shared some excerpts from their submissions.

The Bedding Shoppe collects donations annually for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and the Interfaith Pantry of Morris County, and also supports local fundraisers, groups, sports teams, and schools. Hatler's business is celebrating 35 years of serving the community and neighboring areas, and estimates it has served more than 35,000 customers.

"The store’s longevity and success can be attributed to its unwavering commitment to offering quality products and exceptional customer service" the submission stated. "Mike Hatler and his team pride themselves on giving back to the community and the people that have kept them in business all of these years."

Hatler chose to donate to the Interfaith Food Pantry Network in Morris Plains.

In Kahn's submission, the longtime Board of Directors volunteer explained how the Dover Child Care Center serves low-income families and provides full-time day care to children between six months and five years of age. The child care center has been in business for 55 years.

"My proudest moment was leading the Center during the Covid shut down," he wrote. "We survived as an organization and were able to pay our employees and all of our bills. We re-opened when directed and have thrived as an organization since that time."

Kahn's chosen cause was the Dover Child Care Center, which is a registered nonprofit.

Optimum said it will be hosting further events with the winners, charities, and community members to present each organization with their check. Other winners included residents of New York, Arizona, and West Virginia.

The contest ran from Nov. 1 through Dec. 11, 2023, and was to promote Optimum’s “Greatest Offer of All Time” with its Optimum Complete Internet + Mobile bundle.