News

For Immediate Release

September 12, 2025

RED SOX FOUNDATION AWARDS $750,000

TO INAUGURAL SPECIAL RECOGNITION HONOREES

Pedro Martinez Foundation, Square One Named First Recipients of New Annual Award

Supporting Non-profit Partners Championing Educational and Recreational Opportunities for Youth

BOSTON, MA – The Red Sox Foundation today announced the creation of the Special Recognition Award, granting $750,000 in its inaugural year to support large-scale, high-impact community investments. The first honorees, the Pedro Martinez Foundation and Square One, will use the funding to expand educational opportunities and strengthen community resources in underserved areas of the Dominican Republic and Western Massachusetts. Each year, the award initiative will allow the Foundation’s Board of Directors to award transformative gifts to nonprofit partners advancing its mission in education and recreation. The Special Recognition Award expands on the Foundation’s existing mission and programs, with honorees identified and selected directly by the Red Sox Foundation Board of Directors.

The inaugural recipients will be formally recognized with on-field check presentations during pregame ceremonies today, Friday, September 12, at Fenway Park before the 7:10 p.m. Red Sox–Yankees game.

“From the start, the Red Sox Foundation has aimed to do more than provide incremental support,” said Red Sox Foundation Chairman Tom Werner. “We want to spark meaningful, lasting change. Many of our programs already reflect that philosophy, whether through mentorship, veteran services, or partnerships that strengthen families and neighborhoods. With the Special Recognition Award, we are building on that foundation by committing to a few larger-scale donations each year that will make significant impact. For many organizations, this kind of investment can be transformative, and our hope is that it helps empower families, expand opportunities for young people, and create outcomes that endure for generations.”

“We are honored to award the first Special Recognition Awards to the Pedro Martinez Foundation and Square One. Both organizations are doing extraordinary work to lift up children and families, whether it’s expanding educational opportunities in the Dominican Republic or building resilient communities in Springfield,” said Bekah Salwasser, EVP, Social Impact & Executive Director, Red Sox Foundation. “This new award initiative gives us the ability to support bold projects like these that create real change where it is needed most, and we look forward to honoring these incredible organizations tonight at Fenway Park.”

“Growing up in the Dominican Republic, I experienced firsthand the struggles that many children face, limited access to education, healthcare, and overall safe spaces where kids can be kids. The Pedro Martinez Foundation’s mission from the start has been to provide children with opportunities to thrive in life despite their challenges,” said Pedro Martinez. “This award will help us build a library located in our Community Center that will become a place of learning and imagination for thousands of students and their families. We are grateful to the Red Sox Foundation for investing in future generations of the Dominican Republic.”

“For more than 140 years, Square One has been Springfield’s anchor for early education and family stability – through tornadoes, economic shifts, and global crises. Our ‘Back to Square One’ capital campaign is about restoring and renewing those critical services where they’re needed most, and the Red Sox Foundation’s recognition is paramount to its success,” said Dawn DiStefano, President & CEO, Square One. “These funds will create an outdoor learning center grounded in a play-based, trauma-informed curriculum tailored to the families we serve. We’re not just building a new campus – we’re nurturing lifelong learners, confident parents, and a stronger community.”

Details on the inaugural recipients and their projects are below.

Pedro Martinez Foundation

The Pedro Martinez Foundation will receive $350,000 toward the creation of a new library inside its Community & Health Center in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic. The Red Sox have deep ties to the Dominican Republic through both player development and community engagement, including the Foundation’s longstanding Lindos Sueños program, a partner of the Pedro Martinez Foundation. The new library will provide reading areas, computer access, and study spaces for more than 1,700 students, while also serving adult community members.

Square One, Inc.

Square One of Springfield, Massachusetts will receive $400,000 to support the construction of an outdoor learning center and play space for preschool-aged children, part of the organization’s ongoing $19 million “Back to Square One” capital campaign to rebuild its campus after a tornado destroyed its South End facility in 2011.

–RED SOX–