Cal Ripken and Lou Holtz are trying to back away from the Second Mile, the charity that Jerry Sandusky founded and subsequently allegedly use to lure new victims. Ripken had been an “honorary board member” for the Second Mile.
“In the nonprofit world, people end up on an honorary board and sometimes they don’t even know they’re on it,” Steve Salem, president of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, told the Sun. “It doesn’t really mean anything.”
I seriously doubt Ripken had any significant knowledge of the Second Mile, not even regarding its on-the-record business, and Salem is surely right that someone of Ripken’s stature probably serves on all kinds of boards he may only be vaguely aware of. Ripken apparently spoke at a fundraiser for the Second Mile in 2008; Holtz did so they following year.
Other honorary board members include Joe Paterno, Franco Harris, Arnold Palmer, actor Mark Wahlberg and Eagles coach Andy Reid.