This Friday, we are hosting our annual Aspire Gala, which is an awesome event. Not only do we raise funds for programs like Healthy Choices, Healthy Children and Badges for Baseball, but each year we honor public figures for their work in the community. This year we are honoring Muhammad and Lonnie Ali, Robbie Callaway, and Under Armour for all their hard work and contributions to their communities.
My favorite part of the Aspire Gala is when we bring in a youth speaker to tell the attendees a little about themselves and their experience with the program the event supports. However, this year we are actually bringing in two youth speakers. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know these two individuals through our programs both locally and nationally. Below is a brief look at our two speakers and how they’ve demonstrated the healthy choices they are making:
DeMarco – DeMarco is an 11 year old elementary school student in Baltimore City who recently participated in a Badges for Baseball program at our first Youth Development Park in Baltimore. DeMarco was one of over 60 students who participated along with 42 mentors from the Baltimore City Police Department. Throughout the program sessions, DeMarco showed an uncanny ability to engage with his peers and keep a positive attitude despite the challenges of participating in something completely new to him.
Aaron – Aaron is a 16 year old high school student from Sanford, NC, who has participated in the Badges for Baseball program and been a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation family for a number of years. Aaron has done everything from attending overnight camp to participating in a College Experience Day at Wake Forest University this past summer. Over the years, Aaron has grown into a leader in his community for a number of younger children.
We are all very excited to have these two share their stories with us on Friday, and I look forward to sharing their stories with you next week!