Tom Fontaine RBI Youth Development Park
at Matilda Hartley Elementary School
A Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Youth Development Park    

  

Macon, GA

Creating an Environment for
Success
The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and Macon RBI (Reviving

Baseball in Inner cities) will partner to build a Ripken Youth
Development Park in Macon, Georgia. We want to create
a multipurpose synthetic surface youth sports facility as

a symbol of hope and healthy choices for at-risk youth in

Bibb County. It will serve as home field to Matilda Hartley

Elementary School as well as a venue for afterschool youth
recreational sports programs. This multipurpose park will

nurture urban youth, give them an outlet to experience sports

in a safe, healthy, educational way, and enrich the community
while inspiring pride and hope along the way.

Making a Difference in the Toughest
Neighborhoods
Matilda Hartley Elementary School is located in Macon, GA, which has one of the highest crime rates in the United States. For every
resident in Macon, there is a 1 in 113 chance that he or she becomes a victim of a violent crime. Research suggests that 29% of

all violent crime committed by juvenile offenders occurs in the hours coinciding with the end of the school day, between 3 p.m. and
7 p.m. Out-of-school time programming can be a powerful tool in the fight against juvenile crime. The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation

believes that this new multipurpose field will create transformational change through healthy physical activity, team sports, and caring
adult mentors who help at-risk youth reach their full potential on and off the playing field.

It’s about much more than just building parks.
It’s about building character.
Using team sports as the hook, we can help today’s kids become
tomorrow’s leaders. Matilda Hartley Elementary School and Macon RBI will
work with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation to serve the following goals:
• 

Provide a vibrant community space for kids and their families within their neighborhood.

• 

Keep kids healthy and safe with a place to play and learn after school and over the
summer.

• 

To create an environment of discipline, self-respect, and success.

• 

Aid in the academic, athletic, and social successes of youth.

• 

Build partnerships and engage mentors to help kids make smart choices through
competitive sports.

RISK FACTORS EXPOSED - A CLOSER LOOK AT MACON, GA
• 

The population is predominately African American with a median
household income of $25,572 versus the Georgia state average of
$51,244.

• 

There are approximately 9,103 children in the 31204 zip code and
99% of students at Matilda Hartley Elementary School are eligible
for free or reduced-price meals.

• 

Residents with income below poverty level is 34% compared to the
state average of 17%.

• 

Single-parent households make up 18.5% of the 31204 zip code.

• 

There are 4,139 single parents and 3,225 receive food stamps.

For more information please contact Randy Acosta at the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation at 443-841-7042 or racosta@ripkenfoundation.