Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.
The Norfolk Tides today announced that they have chosen the Booker T. Washington High School Friends and Alumni Association as their charity to benefit during the Triple-A Final Stretch. For each home run hit by the Tides (home and road games) during the Triple-A Final Stretch, Minor League Baseball will donate $50 per home run to the BTW High School Friends and Alumni Association. The Triple-A team hitting the most home runs over the 10-game span will generate an extra $5,000 donation for their charity.
The Booker T. Washington High School Friends and Alumni Association aims to make substantial contributions to help enhance, supplement and undergird all departmental programs, activities and capital projects of the school. The Foundation recognizes that, because of the historical imbalances of opportunity for many of our school’s families, many, too many of their students face extraordinary financial challenges. The Foundation has provided significant funding and helped defray costs of special testing, music programs, field trips, boys and girls sports equipment and uniforms, books, arts equipment and other required materials, as well as having created opportunities for students to participate in community service.
The Foundation also works closely with the Booker T Washington High School Baseball and Softball teams. In addition, former Negro League player, Sam Allen, is closely associated with the Foundation. The Norfolk native played with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1957, the Raleigh Tigers in 1958 and the Memphis Red Sox in 1959. In 1957, Allen would lead the league in runs scored. He served with the U.S. Army after being drafted in 1960 and for a period he was with the 82nd Airborne Division.
Each team in Triple-A team picked a local 501(c)3 charity to donate to during the Triple-A Final Stretch. “Minor League Baseball teams have long been great community partners, and we are pleased to make a donation to each of these local charities on behalf of our Triple-A teams for their performance during the Triple-A Final Stretch,” said Major League Baseball’s Vice President, Minor League Operations and Development, Peter Woodfork. “These charities provide a variety of valuable services to their community, and it is our honor to recognize their efforts.”