This May, over 3,000 Red Sox fans will have a chance to cross home plate at Fenway Park, while helping local veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Fans will get the opportunity to participate in "Run to Home Base," a 9K running/walking event that will benefit the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital’s new Home Base Program.
The Home Base Program serves local veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury – the two “signature wounds” affecting veterans in the current war. The program includes confidential clinical care, family support, research and educational outreach.
“The Run to Home Base is a unique ‘fun run’ through scenic Boston ending with a once-in-a-lifetime experience of finishing the race by crossing home plate at the oldest and smallest ball park in the major leagues — Fenway Park,” Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said Wednesday at a news conference. “It’s also a great opportunity for fans to show their support for the many local heroic servicemen and women who have served all of us.”
The “Run to Home Base” event — the first of its kind — will take place on Sunday, May 23, and is open to everyone across Red Sox Nation and beyond. Participation is limited to the first 3,500 registered runners (age 16 and older), and each registrant must raise a charitable donation of at least $1,000 for the Home Base Program.
Friends and family members of runners are welcome to cheer from the Fenway stands as their loved ones cross home plate. Veterans and their families will enjoy the race from the Run to Home Base Family Fun Zone and Expo in the stadium concourse.
“We are thrilled to have such a unique event that will blend the supporters of the Red Sox Foundation, Mass General, the veteran community and our community at large,” says Peter Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Massachusetts General Hospital. “Events like this help raise exposure of the program to veterans and their families, and help us to expand the services we can offer to veterans who not only need but deserve our support.”
According to the 2008 RAND Corporation study “The Invisible Wounds of War,” of the 1.64 million service members who have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, nearly one in five currently suffers from depression or stress disorders, including combat-related stress disorders. In addition, nearly 20 percent of veterans who served in these ongoing conflicts experienced a concussion or other traumatic brain injury during their tours of duty.
