News

RED SOX FOUNDATION TO CELEBRATE

20 YEARS OF COMMUNITY IMPACT

Milestone Year to be Celebrated with

New Events & Merchandise to Benefit the Team Charity

BOSTON, MA – The Red Sox Foundation today announced plans to commemorate two decades of community impact through celebrations, events, and fundraisers in 2022 to mark its 20^th anniversary. Throughout the year, the Foundation will seek to highlight its work in the areas of health, education, and recreation that have transformed and saved lives through invaluable partnerships, self-run programs, and direct and indirect support of charitable institutions resulting in a total investment of over $104 million in the New England community over the past 20 years.

Since its creation, the Foundation has awarded more than 5,000 grants to non-profit organizations; provided over 1,500 scholarships for students to pursue higher education, supported  325 Boston Public Schools students through the Red Sox Scholars program with thousands of hours of tutoring and mentoring; helped over 30,000 Veterans and their family members suffering from the invisible wounds of war; supported the services of over 20,000 Massachusetts residents annually at The Dimock Center; and offered thousands of coaches and youth baseball and softball players access to clinics, equipment, and organized games and practices. In addition to this work, the Red Sox and Red Sox Foundation have sustained a 69-year partnership with The Jimmy Fund and helped raise over $156 million for Dana Farber cancer treatment and research.

“When John and I purchased the team in 2002, we committed to running a club that would actively engage with its community,” said Red Sox Foundation Chairman Tom Werner. “The creation of the Red Sox Foundation is one of the most important and direct ways we have sought to carry out that early promise and over the past 20 years, it has helped transform the difficult and challenging into the life-altering and life-saving. The Foundation’s impact can be seen in every Boston Public Schools student who has been given a viable chance at a college education, in the thousands of Veterans whose lives have been saved by the crucial services at Home Base, and in the children who sign up to learn and play our great game of baseball and come away with valuable life skills. This year not only marks a time to look back at all that has been accomplished, it also serves to inspire us for the future and how we can help our communities face what’s ahead.”

During its anniversary year, the Red Sox Foundation will focus on sharing the story of its 20 years of impact, while highlighting the future priorities and goals of the organization.

“Twenty years ago, our ownership group founded and funded the Foundation and pledged to infuse the charity with $20 million over 10 years,” said Red Sox Foundation Executive Director Bekah Salwasser. “While that original goal has been far surpassed, the true impact of our work is not measurable in dollars, but rather through the incredible stories from our program participants and partners that we will look to share throughout this milestone year. Our success is not possible without the initial and ongoing support of our ownership group, our Board of Directors, countless donors, and of course Red Sox Nation. I cannot wait to engage with our incredible fans in new and unique ways – all of which will help sustain our work for years to come.”

For the first time, official Red Sox Foundation-branded merchandise, manufactured and sold by ’47 Brand, will be available for purchase with net proceeds benefitting the Foundation and its core programs. In the coming weeks, items will become available online at 47brand.com and at the Official Team Store at 19 Jersey Street.

The 20^th anniversary will be also be marked by a series of events and celebrations that will be hosted throughout the year, including the formal induction of the 2020 Red Sox Hall of Fame class, whose ceremonies were postponed due to the pandemic. On May 26, the Red Sox Foundation will host an event at Fenway Park in which Hall of Famer David Ortiz, former players Manny Ramirez and Rich Gedman, the late Bill Dinneen, as well as former General Manager Dan Duquette will be formally inducted. Additional details and ticket information for the May 26 ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks. Members of the 2020 Red Sox Hall of Fame class are also being honored in pregame ceremonies at Fenway Park preceding the Red Sox-Orioles game on Friday, May 27.

“We are hopeful to include as many members of our community in this celebration as possible and have re-thought how we might create greater access,” said Salwasser. “Rather than host an indoor gala like we typically do, we plan to hold this year’s Red Sox Hall of Fame event at Fenway Park and welcome as many Red Sox fans as possible for this special tradition.”

The Foundation’s 20^th anniversary celebrations will culminate with a June 17 pregame ceremony at Fenway Park preceding the Red Sox-Cardinals game. The Foundation will also be integrated into that night’s NESN game broadcast with various program participants and partners featured throughout the evening.

Additional announcements about events, partnerships, and Red Sox Foundation support opportunities will be shared throughout the year. Donations to the team charity can be made at any time online by visiting redsoxfoundation.org.

The Red Sox Foundation operates out of Fenway Park with 12 full time employees, a dedicated 50/50 Raffle sales team, the support of the Boston Red Sox, and thousands of volunteers.

About the Red Sox Foundation: The official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Red Sox Foundation has awarded more than 5,000 grants since its creation in 2002 and focuses 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 raised over $156 million for cancer treatment and research for The Jimmy Fund, supported more than 30,000 Veterans and their families suffering from the “invisible wounds of war” with the Home Base Program, and helped the Dimock Center serve over 20,000 patients annually with health and human services. The Foundation’s self-run education and youth baseball programs have helped 325 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.