On Thursday, the Red Sox honored members of the U.S. Armed Forces at Fenway Park. In addition to the special ceremony to honor service members, the Sox were able to donate more than 1,000 tickets to members of all six divisions of the military. Red Sox players and coaches donated their personal tickets to the game and season ticket holders also gave up their seats to the game for the cause, dubbed “Tickets for Troops”.
It was a touching tribute to the men and women who sacrifice so much for our country. It was an outward display of well deserved appreciation. This goodwill is something that goes on daily at Fenway Park but doesn’t always get noticed.
For example, every single home game David Ortiz hosts a family of four at the ballpark, giving tickets to fans that would otherwise not be able to afford to go to a game.
Another perhaps unnoticed act of goodwill is Jason Varitek’s “Tek’s 33” program, where the captain brings kids from Children’s Hospital Boston to the game. The kids and their families even get to go on the field during batting practice and meet Varitek.
Tim Wakefield has a similar program through his “Pitching in for Kids” foundation. Wakefield not only hosts kids at the park, he visits them in the hospital so often that they recently named the baseball field there in his honor “Wake-Field”.
Josh Beckett will host his annual “Beckett Bowl” September 10th to raise money for charity. Mike Lowell has an event at the end of August called “A Night at the Copa” with all the proceeds going to his foundation for charity.
Just about every single member of the Boston Red Sox has their own special way of giving back. In the midst of 162 regular season games, with very few days off, these guys are giving what little time they have left to help others. I don’t think many people realize just how busy and tiring a baseball season can be for the guys trying to stay healthy and productive on the field. To see these players and coaches do so much in their community, I for one, can appreciate it even more.
No matter what their record on the field is, giving back is something the Red Sox win at every day.
