WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, along with Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced $2,550,000 for the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, based in Baltimore, Md. The funding, awarded though the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative, will go towards the Foundation’s Badges for Baseball program – a nationwide youth mentorship program in which at-risk youth are paired with law enforcement, public safety, and military mentors who participate in afterschool programs that aim to help the youth build life skills and make positive behavioral decisions

“A positive role model can make all the differ. ence in a child’s life. The Badges for Baseball program recognizes that and takes it a step further by connecting at-risk youth with positive influences within their communities and motivating participants of the program to be successful on and off the field,” said the Members. “We are proud to announce this award and to highlight the outstanding work of Maryland’s Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. We will continue to support opportunities to better the lives of children across our state and our country.

Administered by the DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative provides funding to support mentoring organizations in their efforts to strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities.

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