Salisbury, Md. (Thursday, July 30, 2014) — Perdue Farms' Chairman Jim Perdue joined former Baltimore Orioles shortstop and Hall of Fame member Cal Ripken Jr. and representatives from the Cal Ripken Sr. and Richard A. Henson foundations to celebrate Badges for Baseball Day at the Richard A. Henson Family YMCA in Salisbury.

Youth engaged in the Salisbury Badges for Baseball program particpated in a baseball clinic alongside members of the Salisbury Police Department. Perdue and Ripken, co-founder of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, kicked off the celebration and participated in the clinic. After the clinic, youth attended a Delmarva Shorebirds minor league baseball game.

“We are extremely proud of the partnership between the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the Richard A. Henson Foundation and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation," said Steve Salem, president of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. "They see the value in what we are trying to do, and truly believe in the young people in the Salisbury community. We hope to help improve the lives of millions of at-risk youth in distressed communities with the help of generous supporters like the Arthur W. Perdue and Henson Foundations.”

The Ripken Foundation created Badges for Baseball in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice designed to reshape the relationship between law enforcement and kids living in underserved communities across the country.  It’s a simple concept: pair cops and kids together to play and learn. The Salisbury Badges for Baseball program kicked-off in January thanks to generous donations from the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation ($25,000) and the Richard A. Henson Foundation, and will impact more than 100 youth in the area in 2014.

“We at Perdue are honored to be a part of the Badges for Baseball program,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. “Frank Perdue's legendary love for baseball coupled with the impact of law enforcement officers using the game to influence the lives of at-risk youth made this partnership an attractive investment for us. Working with the Henson and Ripken foundations to make this happen on the Eastern Shore is a wonderful way to work collaboratively for the good of the children in our community.”

“The Richard Henson Foundation is excited to collaborate with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, Salisbury law enforcement and the YMCA to bring the Badges for Baseball program to Salisbury,” said Tom Evans, a Henson Foundation Trustee and Henson Family YMCA Board member. “The Ripken name in Maryland — in fact in the nation — is synonymous with respect, discipline, and integrity. The Badges for Baseball program incorporates those principles through recreational activities, pairing kids with law enforcement officers to create a trusting relationship between the two, thus making it a perfect fit for our Foundation by connecting key components of our mission and focus — education, recreation and putting kids on the right path in life."

About The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation
The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation uses baseball- and softball-themed programs to help build character and teach critical life lessons to underserved youth residing in America’s most distressed communities. Founded in 2001 by members of the Ripken family in memory of their patriarch Cal Sr., the Foundation works to create programs that positively impact at-risk youth through active community partnerships with America’s most successful youth service organizations. The Ripken Foundation uses the baseball and softball field to help teach life’s critical lessons such as perseverance, loyalty, nutrition, hard work and leadership to young people residing in disadvantaged communities. The Ripken Foundation has impacted more than 1.6 million kids nationwide through its Youth Development Park initiative and Badges for Baseball programming, since 2001.

About Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms is the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, and represents the Perdue family ownership.  Since our beginning on Arthur Perdue’s farm in 1920, through expansion into agribusiness and the introduction of the Perdue brand of chicken and turkey under Frank Perdue, to our third-generation of family leadership with chairman Jim Perdue, we’ve remained a family-owned, family-operated business dedicated to making Perdue the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. To learn more about Perdue Farms, visit www.perduefarms.com.

About the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture.

About the Richard A. Henson Foundation
The Richard A. Henson Foundation Inc., was established to provide for and to assure the continuation of the philanthropic spirit, objectives, and ideals of Richard A. Henson, to enrich the quality of life primarily in the greater Salisbury, Md., area and to provide challenging opportunities and act as a catalyst for the betterment of the community.