Hall Launches America 250 Fundraising Campaign

COOPERSTOWN—In honor of the nation’s 250th birthday, Arizona Diamondbacks Managing General Partner and National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Board Member Ken Kendrick has stepped up to the plate with what NBHoF officials are calling “an incredible challenge.” According to a press release issued on Wednesday, July 1, Kendrick is pledging to match dollar for dollar the first $250,000.00 in gifts to the museum’s America 250 Campaign.

“We are honored to partner with baseball fans across the country to support the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s America 250 Campaign, which will be far-reaching in its mission to demonstrate the ties between the nation and the National Pastime,” Kendrick said. “A visit to Cooperstown not only immerses guests in baseball lore but also the values that have powered America since our nation’s Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.”

Since 1939, the NBHoF has committed to “preserving history, honoring excellence and connecting generations while giving fans a place to connect with the timeless memories of the game.” The museum’s America 250 Campaign is fueled by the stories that donors, members and fans fondly share about their visits to Cooperstown. The campaign will ensure that these stories live on forever, officials said.

“Support from this campaign will fund vital institutional needs—including artifact conservation, educational initiatives, exhibit updates and the digitization of archival material—while making exclusive programming possible,” the press release reads.

Such programming includes:

• The Rick Monday Flag: The display of the American flag saved by Monday at Dodger Stadium in 1976, a powerful symbol of patriotism, courage and unity.
• “The America 250 Trail”: A journey through the museum, featuring 13 artifacts that illuminate the concepts and ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence—freedom, opportunity, civic duty—“brought to life through the history of baseball.
• “The Rules of Base Ball”: An exhibit featuring some of the earliest written rules of the game, circa 1857, including an interactive element demonstrating how the rules have evolved.
• “America 250 Discovery Tour”: A museum tour designed especially for younger visitors, highlighting the America 250 ideals and principles.
• Special Museum programming: Regular museum programming that highlights the game’s connections to American history. 

With Kendrick’s pledge to match the first $250,000.00 in gifts to the museum’s America 250 Campaign, “every dollar donated today will do twice as much to protect our National Pastime and safeguard baseball history for generations to come,” according to officials.

To learn more about the NBHoF America 250 Campaign, visit baseballhall.org/250.