BakerHostetler's Sports Industry Co-Leader Honors Hank Aaron's Home Run Record

On April 8, the state of Georgia, the Atlanta Braves and Major League Baseball (MLB) celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record with his 715th home run.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred attended the events in Atlanta and announced a $100,000 endowment of scholarships at Tuskegee University, a historically black college and university in Aaron's home state of Alabama. Ron Gaither, BakerHostetler's Sports Industry team co-leader and board member of the Atlanta Braves Foundation and Henry Louis Aaron Fund, had the privilege of accepting a $150,000 check from Delta Air Lines to support the fund's mission.

"I was born and raised in Atlanta, and Hank Aaron was one of my heroes, so to be a member of the Atlanta Braves Foundation and the Henry Louis Aaron Fund is an absolute honor," said Gaither. "And to help young men and women from underprivileged and underrepresented backgrounds achieve their goals is my greatest source of pride."

Following Aaron's death in 2021, the Braves, MLB and MLB Players Association created the Henry Louis Aaron Fund to positively impact the future of baseball by investing in those who are following in his footsteps on the field and in the front office. Operated by the Atlanta Braves Foundation, the fund supports projects that enable increased representation in the game at all levels, events that showcase young talent from underrepresented communities and career development for future minority business leaders.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame will unveil a bronze statue of Aaron on May 23 on the first floor of its museum in Cooperstown, New York. And a new exhibit at the Atlanta History Center honoring Aaron's life, "More Than Brave," will remain open through September 2025.