A youngster who has undergone four open heart surgeries and a 12-year-old girl who has created her own website and is writing a book of inspirational stories about how athletes of color have handled racism are among the inaugural class of the Seattle Mariners On BASE Hometown Nine.

Hometown Nine is a program created by the Mariners this summer to cover the costs of participating in elite baseball and softball programs to help bridge the gap that prevents a more diverse pipeline of players. The first class of incoming eighth graders was announced today by the Mariners.

Hometown Nine

The Hometown Nine program aims to help underserved youth from communities of color continue to play baseball and softball and advance their educations from eighth grade through their senior year in high school. Thanks in part to a $50,000 donation from T-Mobile as the first and founding partner of the program, the Mariners will pay all fees associated with travel/select baseball/softball training and equipment as well as provide mentorship for the students with Mariners players and Front Office staff to assist them with academic, professional and social support to help them succeed on the field and in the classroom.

Hometown Nine Inaugural Class (see attached bios for each selectee)

• King Allah, 13, Renton
• Michelle Andrea Arimura, 13, Seattle
• Noah Broussard, 13, Renton
• Darnell Carlisle, 13, Seattle
• Ty’mori Greene, 14, Kent
• Gabriel Lopez, 13, Mercer Island
• Tycean Martin, 13, Seattle
• Kahealani Sharpe, 13, Federal Way
• Joy Wilde, 12, Tacoma

Hometown Nine members will remain in the program through high school and each year, the Mariners will add nine more incoming eighth graders to the cohort. As they progress in their academic and sports careers, events and training provided by the Mariners will be tailored to be responsive to their academic development, including college prep assistance.

Mariners Commitment to Social Justice

In addition to Hometown Nine, the Mariners recently unveiled additional efforts to advance social justice and racial equity.

• Community Impact Grants -- Over the next five years, the Mariners will invest $1 million to organizations that promote racial justice and social equity through policy, advocacy and community-based initiatives. Grants will be awarded annually.
• Diversity Fellowship Program -- The Mariners are creating opportunities for candidates of diverse backgrounds who are interested in careers in professional sports. Through the newly created Diversity Fellowship program, the Mariners commit to hiring at least two Diversity Fellows each year to work in areas such as communications, finance, legal, Information Technology and athletic training. In addition to professional experience, the Mariners will provide candidates with support and mentorship to foster their success.
• Diverse Business Partners Program -- The Mariners will double the team’s commitment of $1 million spent each year with minority owned businesses through the team’s procurement process. Items purchased range from bobbleheads and t-shirts to paper products, office equipment and cleaning supplies. Major League Baseball first introduced the Diverse Business Partners program 22-years ago to cultivate new and existing partnerships with minority and women owned businesses by increasing opportunities for them to participate in the procurement activities of teams. Through this first-of-its-kind program in professional sports, MLB has spent approximately $2 billion with diverse businesses since the program was created in 1998.

About the Mariners Care Foundation & On BASE

The Mariners Care Foundation is dedicated to empowering our diverse communities, expanding access to youth baseball and softball and promoting social justice across our region. Since 1991, when the foundation was established, it has helped raise over $28 million to benefit primarily youth-oriented community service programs in the Northwest. On BASE (Baseball And Softball Everywhere) programs include grants to high school baseball and softball programs in underserved communities, anti-bias and skills training for area coaches and skills-building youth clinics and camps around Western Washington.

More information about the Mariners Care Foundation, On BASE, The Hometown Nine and other Mariners community programs is available at Mariners.com/Community.