ATLANTA — "It. Is. Awesome."
Those were the first three words that came from the mouth of Billye Aaron, wife of Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron after she first gazed at the brand new statue honoring her husband.
The Braves unveiled the bronze structure Wednesday evening in a ceremony at SunTrust Park.
The statue, which stands more than 9 feet tall, is the crown jewel of Monument Garden at Atlanta's new ballpark, which opens with an exhibition against the New York Yankees on Friday.
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Wednesday's ceremony helped raise funds for Aaron's Chasing the Dream Foundation, which awards college scholarships to students not only in the Atlanta metro area, but all over the world.
[Meet the artist behind the new statue]
Aaron remains Major League Baseball's all-time leader in RBI and total bases. Now 83 years old, he played his final game in October 1976.
But it's very clear that more than four decades later, the Braves organization still holds him in the highest regard.