The New York Mets announced on Thursday that they will be honoring heroes and volunteers who played a vital part in the response to Hurricane Sandy in a pre-game, on-field ceremony on Opening Day, April 1 at Citi Field.

Citi Field. Photo by: Stacy Podelski

New York will open their season this Monday against the San Diego Padres at 1:10 p.m. Five hundred first responders will be honored in the ceremony, which include members of the Army National Guard, Con Edison of New York, FDNY, NYPD and more.

The franchise has donated 1,000 Opening Day tickets to those who were heroic during the time of Hurricane Sandy, and to those who have been affected by the devastation. The group includes 300 Habitat for Humanity, New York volunteers involved in helping New York City families affected by Hurricane Sandy rebuild.

Slated to sing the National Anthem on that day is singer, actress and Star of Showtime’s Shameless Emmy Rossum, she will be joined by 50 choir members from the Scholars’ Academy in Far Rockaway.

The Opening Day ceremony starts a season-long call to action by the Mets to encourage fans to help their fellow New Yorkers. In the upcoming weeks the franchise will announce programs that will continue to honor Sandy heroes.

Mets players including David Wright, Johan Santana, Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee, Bobby Parnell and Daniel Murphy in the weeks after the storm visited affected areas in Staten Island, Far Rockaway, Breezy Point, Coney Island and Long Beach to aid in the recovery.  In December, Wright and the Mets Foundation donated $250,000 to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City to support hurricane restoration efforts.