M-Braves Present Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute With $5,000 Grant From The Atlanta Braves Foundation

PEARL - In conjunction with the Atlanta Braves, the Mississippi Braves are joining together with the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute in their extraordinary effort to empower the youth of color in central Mississippi through education and community activation. In keeping with the mission of the Atlanta Braves Foundation to support youth-serving programs in our community, a grant for $5,000 was presented to the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute at Trustmark Park on Friday, September 11.

"Along with our parent club, the Atlanta Braves, we are proud to partner with the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute in their mission to impact the lives and future careers of the youth in central Mississippi," added Pete Laven, Mississippi Braves vice president and general manager. "In the spirit of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, the M-Braves look forward to participating in the Institute's efforts in providing equitable environments in our community."

The Evers Youth Empowerment Scholars program (E.Y.E.S.) is about providing Mississippi youth of color with education, training, character development, and team-building skills that will empower them to become actively engaged in their communities. Program components include academic training, community service, and physical activity. These activities instill within our youth, honor, confidence, hope, forgiveness, and responsibility. Values we want to see all of our youth embody each day.

"The Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute is excited and appreciative to begin a relationship with the Atlanta and Mississippi Braves," said Reena Evers-Everette, executive director of the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute and daughter Medgar and Myrlie Evers. "This gift will help support our ongoing efforts for justice and healing, enhancing our organization's abilities to support communities through our youth empowerment initiatives. Now especially, with elevated conversations about racism and demands for change, it is inspiring to have the Atlanta and Mississippi Braves support our mission."

About the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute:
Medgar and Myrlie Evers are widely regarded as two of the most outstanding leaders of the civil rights movement. Medgar Evers was a pioneering visionary for civil rights in the 1950s and early 1960s in Mississippi. From the beginning, Myrlie Evers worked alongside her husband, Medgar. In the years following his assassination, she continued the pioneering work they began together in 1998. She founded the Medgar Evers Institute, with the initial goal of preserving and advancing the legacy of Medgar Evers' life's work. Anticipating the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963, and recognizing the international leadership role of Myrlie Evers, the Institute's board of directors changed the organization's name to the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute.

About the Atlanta Braves Grant Program:
Each year, the Atlanta Braves Foundation grants funds to youth-serving organizations that focus on health, education, and recreation; and whose plans for the requested funds will have a significant impact upon the individuals served by the requesting organization.

"Although great strides in the field of human relations have been made, we cannot let up now!"
~ Medgar Evers, April 1961