News

For Immediate Release

July 21, 2020

$50,000 JACKPOT GUARANTEED FOR RED SOX FOUNDATION’S OPENING DAY 50/50 RAFFLE

Boston, MA – The Red Sox Foundation, in partnership with Ascend Fundraising Solutions, is guaranteeing a $50,000 Opening Day jackpot for the team’s 50/50 Raffle taking place Friday, July 24, when the Red Sox open the regular season at home facing the Baltimore Orioles.

The 50/50 Raffle is a critical fundraising tool for the Foundation, and is available during every Red Sox home game at the ballpark, as well as online for fans located in Massachusetts. Half the net proceeds posted at each game go to the winning ticket holder. The other half goes to the Red Sox Foundation to support their charitable programs and partners.

“Now, perhaps more than ever, the funds we raise through the 50/50 Raffle are critical to the Foundation’s ability to have meaningful and sustained impact within our community,” said Red Sox Foundation Executive Director Bekah Salwasser. “While our stands will remain empty on Opening Day, we are thrilled to bring a part of the Fenway Park experience into the homes of our fans through this online raffle opportunity. We are grateful for the support of the Red Sox community during this unique season.”

To participate, fans must be in the State of Massachusetts and at least eighteen (18) years of age. Eligible fans may purchase raffle tickets online for the Opening Day jackpot in advance of the July 24 home opener by visiting redsox.com/5050. Raffle sales will close at the end of the 8th inning of the July 24 game against the Orioles. Official rules for the raffle are available by clicking here.

The Red Sox Foundation has maintained operations and programming throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure consistent and necessary support and resources to hundreds of other non-profits and youth throughout New England. Earlier this year, the team charity established and seeded an Emergency Hardship Fund to help those who are experiencing food insecurity in New England and Southwest Florida as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the Hardship Fund, the Foundation has supported COVID-19 charitable funds established in the city and Commonwealth. Support of those funds includes a $250,000 donation to the City of Boston’s Resiliency Fund to help purchase Chrome books to aid Boston Public Schools students with distance learning, and a $100,000 donation to the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund established by Governor Baker and his wife Lauren to help support essential front-line workers and other vulnerable communities.

About the Red Sox Foundation

The official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Red Sox Foundation has donated to over 1,900 organizations since its creation in 2002, and focused on making a difference in the lives of children, families, Veterans, and communities in need by improving their health, education, and recreational opportunities. Through partnerships with best-in-class organizations in healthcare, the Red Sox have helped raise over $150 million for cancer treatment and research for The Jimmy Fund, supported more than 24,000 Veterans and their families suffering from the “invisible wounds of war” with the Home Base Program, and helped the Dimock Center serve over 19,000 patients annually with health and human services. The Foundation’s self-run education and youth baseball programs have helped 313 Boston Public Schools students with college scholarships, and promotes healthy choices and valuable life skills to more than 2,000 urban youth annually through its RBI baseball and softball program.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Red Sox Foundation raises funds through special events, corporate sponsorships, and grants. Founded and initially funded by Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, President/CEO Emeritus Larry Lucchino and their partners, the Red Sox Foundation has won numerous awards for the impact of its innovative programs. In 2010, the Foundation’s Red Sox Scholars program was recognized by Major League Baseball with the first-ever “MLB Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence.” In 2009, the Red Sox Foundation was honored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Sports Philanthropy Project with the Patterson Award as the nation’s “Best Team Charity in Sports.”  For more information about the foundation, visit redsoxfoundation.org.

–RED SOX–