Hank Aaron Stamp Dedication Ceremony

       On August 17, 2024, ESPER partnered with the Negro League Legends Hall of Fame (NLLHOF) for the Hank Aaron Dedication Stamp Ceremony in Bowie, Maryland. Dwayne Sims, a new member of ESPER, invited us to the Negro League East vs West Baseball game in 2023. When the Hank Aaron stamp was announced by the USPS in 2024 to be issued in Atlanta, Georgia Sims talked with USPS officials about having a second ceremony in Bowie Maryland. USPS Mark Wahl, who is a Strategic Communications Specialist, worked with Sims to organized the event. A special postmark was done for the event. Sims designed a cachet for the event to recognize the Negro Leagues. Hank Aaron played for the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro League prior to going to Major League Baseball (MLB). I was invited to participate on the program and speak about ESPER.

Due to the forecast of rain in Maryland on August 17th the baseball game was rescheduled to September 1st. ESPER had a table at the stamp event and was well represented with members from MD/DC/DE Chapter, Virginia, North Carolina and New York present. Clarence McKnight designed several Negro League pictures for the event featuring Negro League teams, players and history. He also designed a special Stamp Art Hank Aaron picture that was presented to Dwayne Sims at the event. We had one new member (a youth) to join during the event!
 

Fox 5 News and the Washington Informer covered the events for news services. Jean did a Press release for the event and I put together a press kit. The Informer interviewed Jean.

Following the Stamp ceremony, we had a meeting. We discuss the need for documentation for holding a stamp event and how we might attract more youth to the organization. Each member present receive a stamp booklet related to Athletes, Olympians and Sports and the special NLLHOF Cachet FDC with Bowie postmark.  Following the meeting, seven members went to RIPs restaurant near the stadium for a fellowship.
 

The following ESPER members were present: MD/ DC / DE Chapter - Jean Lewis (Chapter Director), Regina Bullock, Valerie Emerson, Evelyn Fizer, Rogers Lewis, Farnese Hicks, Betty Session, Norrece Jones and Dwayne Sims; North Carolina Chapter - Walter Faison; New York Chapter – William Jordan and Virginia - Hollace Enoch, Howard Ingram and Rhonda Ingram

Submitted by Howard Ingram, ESPER President