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Ohio Attorney General DeWine...
DeWine, Ripkin
bring Badges for Baseball to Ohio
(CANTON, Ohio) – Attorney General Mike DeWine and Cal Ripken Jr. today
announced the beginning of the Badges for Baseball program in Canton,
Youngstown, and Zanesville. The program was created by the Cal Ripken
Sr. Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice to
help at-risk youth and prevent juvenile crime. By pairing police and
kids together playing baseball and softball, the program builds new
relationships between youth and law enforcement.
“We are thrilled to bring the Badges for Baseball program to the youth
in Ohio and thank Attorney General DeWine for his support,” said
National Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. “The program has
been successful and popular with law enforcement officers across the
nation and in Ohio we will begin in Canton, Youngstown and Zanesville
with the hope of taking it statewide.”
“This is a wonderful program that Cal Ripken and I are eager to bring
to the kids and families of Ohio, and the local partner agencies,” said
Attorney General DeWine. “This program has helped communities in more
than a dozen other states and now it will also benefit Ohio.”
Attorney General DeWine is making $168,000 available over two years, to
complement the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation’s contribution of $158,000 in
services and materials over the same time period. More than 300 Ohio
kids ages 9 to 14 are expected to participate in the program the first
year.
The program will incorporate partnerships with the Boys & Girls
Club of Youngstown; the Zanesville Big Brothers, Big Sisters; the
Fieldhouse Family Fitness Center; the YMCA of Canton; the Youngstown
and Canton police departments, as well as the Muskingum County
Sheriff’s Office.
Cal Ripken Foundation grants, funded in part by the Ohio Attorney
General’s Office, were awarded to each community to start and operate
Badges for Baseball locally. Funds from the Attorney General’s Office
come from fines and penalties received by the Office’s Charitable Law
Section through its enforcement activities that ensure that monies
raised by non-profits in Ohio go for charitable purposes.
• The Canton Police Department received a $15,000 grant and its program
is set to start on April 23.
• The Boys & Girls Club of Youngstown received $15,000, and the
Youngstown Police Department received a $5,000 grant. The program
starts on April 17.
• Zanesville Big Brothers Big Sisters received a $20,000 foundation
grant, and the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office received $5,000.
Badges for Baseball starts on June 12.
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