News

Mar 15, 2017

Red Sox Foundation and Foundation To Be Named Later Partner For Charity During April Cubs Series at Fenway Park

For Immediate Release

March 15, 2017

 

RED SOX FOUNDATION AND FOUNDATION TO BE NAMED LATER PARTNER FOR CHARITY DURING APRIL CUBS SERIES AT FENWAY PARK

Weekend of Charitable Events Presented by Think Energy and Parent Company ENGIE Resources

 

BOSTON, MA – The Red Sox Foundation and the Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL) today announced plans to partner for a weekend of charitable events on April 28 and 29 during the Red Sox-Cubs series at Fenway Park to raise funds for the two non-profits.

“Baseball Champions for Charity” weekend is presented by Think Energy, an ENGIE company, and will include a VIP reception and luncheon on Friday, April 28, at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. The event will feature a discussion with the theme championship teams, and includes participation from Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez, Red Sox and Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, and New York Yankees legend Bernie Williams (additional participants will be announced at a later date). The event will be moderated by MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons, and NESN anchor Tom Caron.

The following day, after the 4:05 p.m. game at Fenway Park, players and legends from both teams will attend and participate in a special Red Sox and Cubs edition of Hot Stove Cool Music, a benefit concert and VIP party at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston celebrating music, baseball, and giving back. The evening will be one of the rare opportunities to view both the Red Sox and Cubs’ “curse-breaking” 2004 and 2016 World Series trophies on display together.

“We congratulate the Cubs on their success last October, and know that for many baseball fans, seeing these two historic World Series trophies side by side will be a unique and special opportunity,” said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. “There are few teams in sports with fan bases as devoted as those that follow the Red Sox and Cubs, and it will be immensely gratifying for our fans and our players to join forces on this special weekend in support of the worthy causes helped by the Red Sox Foundation and the Foundation To Be Named Later.”

The Saturday night event will be emceed by award-winning actor, writer, and comedian Mike O’Malley, and includes a game show showdown between current Red Sox and Cubs players, followed by musical performances by three ensemble bands – the Boston Hot Stove All Stars, Band of Their Own, and the Chicago Hot Stove All Stars. A full list of participating musicians can be found at ftbnl.org.

“It’s pretty cool to see the Red Sox and Cubs join forces to make a difference in the lives of Boston and Chicago youth,” said Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations/FTBNL Co-Founder Theo Epstein. “It’s shaping up to be a great weekend of competitive baseball on the field at Fenway and an epic weekend of baseball, music and giving back. I’m thankful to Tom, John, Sam and the Red Sox and humbled by the generosity of the players, bands and sponsors who donate their time, energy and most importantly their passion to help raise money to create opportunity for underserved kids in our communities.”

“The uniqueness of these events for baseball fans cannot be overstated,’’ said Red Sox President Sam Kennedy. “Two iconic franchises, both of whom have put to rest legendary curses, coming together not only on the field but to raise money for charity. I feel privileged to partner with my fellow Brookline High alumnus, Theo Epstein, and players from both teams in what should be an amazing weekend to support the Red Sox Foundation and the Foundation To Be Named Later.’’

The Paradise Rock Club has been the site of the Foundation To Be Named Later’s Hot Stove Cool Music fundraiser since the event began in January 2000.  The venue, which has hosted iconic bands like U2, R.E.M., and Billy Joel, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and once again donating the space and staff for the April 29 fundraiser.

“As the official electricity supplier for both the Red Sox and Cubs, we couldn’t be more honored to support ‘Baseball Champions for Charity’ weekend and are excited at the opportunity to come together for such a great cause,” said John Henderson, head of Think Energy as Senior Vice President of Retail Markets at ENGIE Resources. “ENGIE has a rich tradition of supporting important civic programs at multiple levels, and we’re proud to carry on that practice through this unique event.”

All proceeds from the “Baseball Champions for Charity” weekend will benefit the Red Sox Foundation and the Foundation To Be Named Later. General Admission tickets to the Hot Stove Cool Music benefit concert will be announced at a later date. Those interested in tickets to the luncheon, VIP tickets to the Hot Stove Cool Music event, and sponsorship opportunities may call 617-226-6334.

 

About the Red Sox Foundation

The official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Red Sox Foundation has distributed over $93 million to support programs serving children and families across New England. The Foundation’s efforts are primarily focused on five cornerstone programs: the Red Sox Scholars Program, which provides tutoring, mentoring, enrichment programs and a college scholarship to academically talented but economically disadvantaged Boston public school students; the Red Sox Foundation’s RBI and Rookie League youth baseball and softball programs serving more than 2,000 inner city teens each summer; the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with combat stress and traumatic brain injury; The Dimock Center in Roxbury, serving more than 80,000 low-income families in Boston’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods; and The Jimmy Fund, supporting breakthrough cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  

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.

 

About Hot Stove Cool Music

Hot Stove Cool Music is a biannual charity concert and musical variety show held in Boston in the winter and in Chicago in the summer months, making its debut in Chicago in summer 2012. The event was created in December of 2000 by Hall of Fame baseball journalist Peter Gammons and former Boston Herald sports writer Jeff Horrigan. Over the past 17 years, Hot Stove Cool Music has become a staple on Boston’s entertainment calendar and has raised more than $8 million for Theo and Paul Epstein’s Foundation To Be Named Later, the Jimmy Fund and other beneficiaries.

 

About Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL)

Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL) was launched in 2005 by Paul Epstein, a social worker in Boston, MA area and his twin brother, former Boston Red Sox Executive Vice President/General Manager and current Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein. The mission of FTBNL is to raise funds and awareness for nonprofit agencies, working on the front lines, serving youth and families from disadvantaged neighborhoods in Boston & Chicago. FTBNL invests in programs that teach leadership, education and healthy development of families. It’s name is a playful nod to the MLB trade term, player to be named later.

Since inception, FTBNL has raised over $9 million and donated grants, scholarships, and in-kind donations to 301 non-profit organizations, 71 Peter Gammons College Scholars and has sent approximately 6,500 children, who would not otherwise get the chance to go to a game, to Cubs and Red Sox home games. The Peter Gammons/FTBNL College Scholarship is the signature program of FTBNL and has sent 71 young people with high financial needs and high educational potential to the college of their choice. Each Gammons Scholar also gets an adult mentor and a laptop computer to ensure college success.  For more information on Foundation To Be Named Later programs and events, or to make a donation, please visit www.foundationtobenamedlater.org.

 

About ENGIE Resources and Think Energy

ENGIE Resources, which rebranded in 2016, is the third-largest non-residential retail electricity supplier in the United States and currently serves commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in 14 markets: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, D.C.  The company serves nearly 90,000 accounts for customers having a peak demand ranging from 50 KW to more than 200 MW, with an estimated peak load totaling nearly 13,000 MW. For more about ENGIE Resources, visit www.engieresources.com or call 1-866-999-8374.  Follow ENGIE Resources on Twitter and Facebook.

The company offers electricity service to residential and small business customers in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, D.C., under the brand Think Energy®.  Think Energy® works every day to be “The Unsurprise Energy Company,” providing customers transparent, competitive fixed prices, easy-to-use online tools, and excellent customer service.  For more information, visit www.thinkenergy.com, call 1-888-923-3633, or email questions@mythinkenergy.com.

ENGIE Resources & Think Energy® are part of ENGIE North America, which manages a range of energy businesses in the U.S. and Canada, including electricity generation and cogeneration, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution and sales, retail energy sales, as well as services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize their energy use and expense. For more information on ENGIE North America, visit www.engie-na.com or on Twitter@ENGIENorthAm.

 

–RED SOX–

 

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