Fifty HBCU student athletes will be provided suits, shirts and ties, socks and shoes plus instruction in dining etiquette, grooming, financial literacy, tie tutorials and more
WHAT: As part of the MLB All-Star Week festivities, and in celebration of the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile and powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF), YDF is teaming up with the Dallas-based Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center to present The Suit Up Experience for HBCU student-athletes on Saturday (July 13).
The Suit Up Experience is an initiative that provides young men ages 15-24 with head-to-toe care – and a tangible boost of confidence – as they receive suits, ties, shoes, socks and haircuts. As part of the day-long experience, the young men will also receive mentoring and a wealth of information – from etiquette, grooming tips and wardrobe styling, to shoeshine and tie-tying tutorials, to financial literacy, career readiness, healthy living and more.
Since launching in 2014 as a male version of the “prom dress project,” The Suit Up Experience has helped more than 6,500 young men from all walks of life – from the college student gearing up for graduation to the high schooler attending prom or his first job interview, to the young man proudly owning a suit for the first time.
“Whether or not these young men pursue careers on the baseball field, The Suit Up Experience is just another way to spotlight and develop our HBCU student-athletes into major league citizens,” according to Jean Lee Batrus, executive director of the MLB-MLPBA Youth Development Foundation.
WHO: In addition to the 50 HBCU student-athletes, the following individuals will participate:
Jean Lee Batrus, executive director, MLB-MLPBA Youth Development Foundation
Charlie McKinney, chairman, Heroes Foundation
Texas Senator Royce West
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia
WHEN: Saturday (July 13) from noon-3 p.m.:
Noon – luncheon
1-3 p.m. – The Suit Up Experience
WHERE: Loew’s Arlington Hotel & Convention Center, 888 Nolan Ryan Expwy., Arlington, TX 76011.
Specific locations for the luncheon and The Suit Up Experience will be shared with media once attendance is confirmed.
ABOUT THE MARK CUBAN HEROES BASKETBALL CENTER.
The Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center is a multi-purpose facility for neighborhood youth and families providing sports and leadership programs. The Center expanded its services to address the critical needs arising during the pandemic related to food insecurity, including the distribution of afterschool snacks, meals and food boxes to neighborhood families. For more information, visit markcubanheroescenter.org.
ABOUT MLB-MLBPA YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION.
MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) is a joint initiative by Major League Baseball and the Players Association to support efforts that focus on improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and internationally. From local-based programs to the Hank Aaron Invitational and HBCU Swingman Classic, the foundation helps make youth baseball and softball more accessible – creating economic opportunities, strengthening communities, and building character – on and off the field. For more information, please visit baseballydf.com.
