Badges for Baseball gets rolling in Massachusetts
March 19, 2008 - Massachusetts

Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor, Timothy Murray, a native of Worcester, MA, held a press conference on March 18, 2008 to announce the launch of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation’s Badges for Baseball program. Two of Worcester’s finest organizations, the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester and the Worcester Police Department Gang Unit, each received cash and equipment grants to bring Badges for Baseball to the young people in Worcester. All totaled, the City of Worcester is receiving over $45,400 in cash and equipment from the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.

Thanks to strong support from the Lieutenant Governor and City Manager O’Brien of Worcester, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation is confident the program will be a success and bring opportunities in baseball, softball, and character education to some of Worcester’s young people most in need. By pairing youth with law enforcement officers, the program works to bridge the gap between at-risk youth and the officers trained to serve and protect. As the Worcester Chief of Police Paul Saucier said, “prevention is our best investment,” and Badges for Baseballgives the City of Worcester this opportunity to help prevent crime by providing positive out-of-school activities that help to build relationships of mutual respect between youth and law enforcement agencies.

As the Lieutenant Governor Murray spoke to the young people at the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester he stressed the value of work ethic that Cal Ripken, Jr. learned from his father Cal, Sr. Commenting on Ripken’s consecutive game streak, the Lieutenant Governor said, “If you continue to show up every day and work hard, good things will come.” Lt. Gov. Murray emphasized the importance of continuing to show up day after day despite the challenges. He then played some Quickball with the children, showing his continued commitment to the young people and the Badges for Baseball program.