CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Appalachian League executives recently participated in the 29th annual MLK Day of Service, volunteering in communities across North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Tabbed as a “day on, not a day off” to celebrate the life and legacy of the Civil Rights leader, MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
“We appreciate the opportunity to give back to our communities and are happy to have joined many across the country in celebrating MLK Day of Service,” said Elizabethton River Riders GM and Appalachian League Charity Committee Chair Kiva Fuller.
Across the league, executives volunteered at food pantries, community centers and local ministries. Clubs participated in MLK Day marches and attended various NAACP services. Multiple clubs assisted with preparing and packaging meals, sorting donations and stocking shelves, while other teams organized and coordinated both trail and river cleanup programs.
Founded in 1911, the Appalachian League is one of the longest-running baseball leagues in baseball history and recently completed its third season as a collegiate summer baseball league in partnership with MLB and USA Baseball. The Appy League is the only collegiate summer league under MLB and USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline (“PDP”) and is an integral part of the identification and development process for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Teams and other future National teams. The league plays a 48-game schedule and comprises ten teams from West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
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