In March 2010, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation was pleased to launch our second year of the North Carolina Badges for Baseball program. This second year program was made possible thanks to support from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the State of North Carolina, and the Walmart Foundation. The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation is dedicated to sustaining successful programs, and fifteen program sites are returning for the second year. In addition we have expanded to two new organizations and one additional county. In total, Badges for Baseball will run in twenty communities across North Carolina.
This year’s program kicked off on March 18th with a staff training and press event at the Boys & Girls Club of Wake County in Raleigh, North Carolina. Returning partners were asked to consider ways to expand their program and build statewide collaborations, providing a chance for kids from across North Carolina and within their communities to interact, learn, and play together. During the summer, kids from program sites across North Carolina travel to Aberdeen, Maryland, to participate in summer camp, learn a bit about baseball, and enjoy traditional camp experiences such as swimming, kayaking, and making new friends. The kids will also get to participate in a new event this year: a statewide Quickball Tournament!
