Take me out to the ballgame! The James T. Anderson Boys & Girls Club has a refurbished baseball/softball turf infield—thanks to the Atlanta Braves and Major League Baseball.
As part of Hank Aaron Weekend, MLB, The Atlanta Braves Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) leaders and county officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony July 29. The Legacy Project renovations include a new turf infield with new outfield grass, new windscreens and backstop padding, a pavilion spruce up with cleaning, and a new Anderson Club sign with a Hank Aaron quote. In addition, picnic tables and trash bins were sanded, washed and painted.
Guests at the July 29 ribbon cutting included Cobb County Chairperson Lisa Cupid, Cobby County Joann Birrell, Diamond Crystal Brands (TBC) CEO Greg Heller, Atlanta Braves Foundation Executive Director Danielle Bedasse, Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Vice President of Sports, Entertainment & Alumni Relations Frank Sanchez, and Atlanta Braves Mascot Blooper.
Anderson Club Executive Director N’keschia Brundidge-Clark says she hopes that the new field will provide an opportunity for more local children to take a serious interest in baseball and softball. BGCMA President/CEO David Jernigan agreed, telling the crowd that the field was more just turf.
“As a Club kid at the Elizabeth City Boys & Girls Clubs in North Carolina, my time spent on the baseball field was not only a fundamental aspect of my Club experience, but a place where I first began to develop the leadership skills needed in my current role as President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta,” Jernigan said. “Please understand that this field has the ability to transform lives.”
Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, Braves alumni Greg McMichael, Gary Matthews, and Terry Harper led a baseball/softball clinic for Club kids & teens. Read more.
