BALTIMORE — Baltimorean Daryl C. Smith is a community activist who spends much of his time enriching lives of others through youth advocacy. His lifetime goals include helping kids find their niche through mentorship and youth athletic programs.
Smith, an outstanding athlete, graduated from Northern High School and Essex Community College. He played professional baseball sixteen years making his Major League debut with the Kansas City Royals in 1990. Currently, he is a certified master sales associate for Lexus.
“The foundation was formed because I wanted the youth to be inspired the way that I was coming up, [by] the powerful influential people in my life. I strive to promote the need for adult mentorship to positively impact youth and the community,” said Smith who founded the “Dreams Do Exist” Foundation in 2008.
The mission of the foundation is to promote youth advocacy through hands-on activities including mentorship, athletics and the arts. The foundation is funded through corporate sponsorships, private donations and volunteers.
In addition, the foundation supports youth by identifying their dreams, showcasing their talents and empowering strategic decision making through real world experiences and mentorship. The company’s motto, “You Don’t Have to be a Superstar to be Successful” further promotes the mission of the company by following basic core principles of empowerment, strategic planning, and establishing networking skills.
The foundation has several annual events including: Dreams of Tomorrow Youth and Jazz Event to be held Sunday, April 3, 2016 at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts in Owings Mills, Maryland; The Dreams Do Exist Golf Tournament to be held Sunday, August 7, 2016 at the Links at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and One Dream Free Baseball Clinic, Summer 2016, to be held at the Weinberg Fine Stadium in Owings Mills, Maryland.