Baltimore County, MD —NAACP Baltimore County has announced a new Next Generation Sponsor initiative aimed at expanding access for young people to attend the Branch’s 2026 Freedom Fund Banquet on Saturday, February 28.

Through the initiative, community members can sponsor a student’s attendance by purchasing a $125 General Admission ticket, which will be used to cover the cost for a student to participate in one of the Branch’s most significant annual civil rights events.

The Freedom Fund Banquet brings together community leaders, educators, advocates, and residents to honor the legacy of the civil rights movement while addressing the challenges and opportunities facing communities today. The Next Generation Sponsor initiative is designed to ensure that students are not only learning about this history, but experience it firsthand.

“The future of the civil rights movement depends on the engagement and leadership of young people,” said Roland Patterson, President of the NAACP Baltimore County Branch. “This initiative is about making sure students are in the room, part of the conversation, and inspired to lead.”

The Branch is encouraging educators, mentors, and youth-serving organizations to help identify students who would benefit from attending the Banquet and to share information about the sponsorship opportunity throughout their networks.

Next Generation Sponsor tickets are purchased through the Branch’s ticketing platform. Each $125 ticket sponsors one student to attend the Freedom Fund Banquet.

More information and tickets are available at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/freedom-fund-awrads-banquet

About the NAACP Baltimore County Branch

For more than 50 years, NAACP Baltimore County has stood up and spoken out for political, educational, social, and economic equity, while confronting the implicit and institutional racism that persists in our communities. Through advocacy, education, and community engagement, the Branch continues to advance justice and equity throughout Baltimore County.