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Dedicated to Promoting and Stimulating Interest in Baseball
******* Celebrating 60+ Years of Community Service *******


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HISTORY
 
The Cardboard to Leather
® program was inspired by an article by Baltimore Sun sportswriter John Eisenberg that appeared in The Baltimore Sun in 1992. Eisenberg traveled to the Dominican Republic on an unrelated assignment, and while there he observed kids playing baseball with makeshift equipment: tree limbs for bats and cardboard wrapped with tape for gloves. He decided to write about what he saw. After reading Eisenberg's article, the Oriole Advocates decided to do something to get decent equipment to the kids.

Since the program started, the Oriole Advocates have distributed over 100 tons of equipment. Little Leagues, local recreation departments, individual baseball fans, and various other groups donate equipment throughout the year, in addition to the collections held at Camden Yards and other baseball stadiums. The gear is distributed, based on the greatest need, to schools, orphanages, community groups, and hospitals. The material is owned by the group, not distributed to individuals; that way, the equipment can be shared, and more kids get an opportunity to use it.

Financial donations, annual raffles, and silent auctions held throughout the year
help defray the costs of storage and shipment of the collected equipment.
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CARDBOARD TO LEATHER ​®

The Oriole Advocates, Inc., P.O. Box 2295, Baltimore, MD 21203-2295 oadvocates @ orioleadvocates.org