ExtremeRavens Posted 14 hours ago Posted 14 hours ago Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is further committing to using his connection to the National Thoroughbred League to benefit Baltimore. Jackson, a part-owner of the NTL’s Maryland Colts, is helping launch the Forever Dreamers 8 Scholars program, a fully funded apprenticeship that gives high school seniors in Park Heights a chance to work in Maryland’s thoroughbred industry. A cohort of eight high schoolers (in honor of Jackson’s No. 8) will spend their senior year working various jobs that include horse training, veterinarian duties and sales work, which also has the backing of Gov. Wes Moore and his wife, Dawn. Moore’s Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments and Households (ENOUGH) initiative, which provides resources to communities in hopes of improving the lives of Marylanders experiencing multi-generational poverty, is partnering with Jackson’s Forever Dreamers Foundation to create the pilot apprenticeship. “Lamar Jackson is a generational talent on the field and a model citizen off the field. … This program will provide pathways for young people in Park Heights into pathways associated with the Pimlico Race Course and the Maryland thoroughbred industry,” Gov. Moore said in a news release. Randall Lane, an NTL cofounder, is optimistic the program will create a route for high schoolers to build careers in horse racing. “When they graduate, hopefully a bunch of these local residents will have jobs waiting for them,” Lane told The Baltimore Sun. Jackson joined the NTL, a 10-team thoroughbred racing league entering its third season, as an investor and team owner last year. He wanted his involvement in the league to benefit the Baltimore community, and his foundation aiding with the new apprenticeship program makes good on that goal. Baltimore’s standout signal caller specifically wanted children in the area to feel a stronger connection to both Pimlico and the state’s thoroughbred industry. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Award winner will celebrate the launch of the program through a pair of events around the NTL’s Baltimore Cup, which takes place May 10 at Pimlico. On May 9, Jackson will host a fundraiser at The Horse You Came In On Saloon in Fells Point. The event will include a performance by musical artist Jarobi White of “A Tribe Called Quest.” The race on May 10 is being dubbed the Baltimore Community Day, as it will bring thousands of kids from Park Heights to Pimlico for free. At the event, kids will get to pet thoroughbred horses, play games, eat a free meal, watch races and interact with Jackson, among other activities. “It’s going to be a lot of fun for everyone involved,” Jackson said in a news release. “We’re really looking forward to exposing the kids to new things.” Jackson spearheaded the idea for a community day, which he often hosts in Florida through his foundation. “This was Lamar,” Lane said. “Lamar said … ‘I want the kids to be able to touch horses.’ Presumably, they live in the shadow of Pimlico and they’ve never touched a horse, seen a horse … hopefully they’ll see why Pimlico is such a special place, and it’s not just a place that they look at from the outside, but it’s a home for them, too.” Jackson’s commitment to NTL comes as the Ravens look to keep the superstar in Baltimore for the extended future. His current contract runs through 2028, and the franchise has discussed extending that deal. ESPN’s Adam Schefter called a desire to keep Jackson in Baltimore longer than 2028 a “no-brainer” for the organization. Count Lane among the people who hope Jackson stays in Baltimore for a while — and not just because of his impact on the football field. “I’ve been so impressed with his purposefulness around making sure this is truly impactful and not just window dressing,” Lane said. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article Quote
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