Supporters of the Robinson-Shuba Commemorative Statue today announced a grant of $25,000 from the John S. and Doris M. Andrews Memorial Fund, a component of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.

"We are grateful for this generous contribution, which we see as an investment in sustaining the values this statue will celebrate," said Ernie Brown, a co-chair of the Robinson-Shuba Commemorative Statue Committee. "The towering statue of Jackie Robinson and George Shuba will remind Mahoning Valley residents and visitors that our community has a proud history of supporting racial equality."

"The Foundation is proud to play a part in this project, serving as a connector between the Robinson-Shuba committee and the advisors of the Andrews Memorial Fund to help move it one step closer to completion," said Shari Harrell, president of the Community Foundation. 

The larger-than-life bronze statue will portray the 1946 handshake at home plate between Jackie Robinson, the first African-American allowed to compete in mainstream professional baseball, and George Shuba, his white teammate from Youngstown.

Shuba stepped up from the on-deck circle to shake Robinson's hand after two other teammates who scored on Robinson's three-run homer in his debut game didn't wait at home to greet him.

Sculptor Marc Mellon recently completed the statue model, which will be used to create a mold for casting the bronze memorial.

Dedication of the statue is scheduled for April 18, 2021, the 75th anniversary of the Robinson-Shuba handshake.

Situated in Wean Park, between the Covelli Center and Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, the memorial will stand nearly 7 feet tall above its base and be surrounded by seating that supports programming about racial equality.