Beckett, along with a surplus of other Boston sports figures and celebrities, hosted the event in order to raise money for Children’s Hospital Boston, which continues to build on its reputation as one of the world’s leading pediatric hospitals.
"Any time you can touch other people’s lives, your life ends up getting touched just as much," Beckett said as he remained in good spirits throughout the evening.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Beckett — who started the Josh Beckett Foundation in 2007 — has named Children’s Hospital Boston as the primary beneficiary of the tournament.
The Josh Beckett Foundation was started to help support community-based programs that help disadvantaged children, and it led to the two-time major league All-Star being presented with the 2009 "Champion Award" by Children's Hospital Boston, an award that recognizes athletes for their off-the-field work enriching children's lives.
In 2008, Beckett helped turn a cancer treatment room at Children’s Hospital Boston into a miniature Fenway Park scene, giving children the opportunity to cherish a ballpark-like atmosphere without having to venture over to the actual stadium.
Lackey’s big splash during the live auction on Thursday was only a sample of the items auctioned off at the much-anticipated Beckett Bowl.
His opening bid on the card table was enough to secure the item and provide a tremendous amount of support toward a good cause, but many other fans were able to lend a hand as well, with plenty of rare items and opportunities going for a pretty penny throughout the evening.
During the live auction that took place at the conclusion of the tournament, one fan paid $8,000 for four tickets to a Red Sox-Yankees game in New York that included a private jet and ground transportation upon arrival. Another high bidder secured a hunting trip on Beckett’s personal ranch for $6,000.
Among the other items auctioned off following the roughly hour-and-a-half-long tournament were an opportunity to throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park, and a 2010 American League All-Star Game jersey signed by all of this year’s Red Sox All-Stars.
In addition to Beckett and Lackey, Scott Atchison, Daniel Bard, Manny Delcarmen, Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield represented the Red Sox. Boston Bruins David Krejci and Shawn Thornton were in attendance. And Ayla Brown, Verne Troyer and NESN’s own Heidi Watney also laced up their bowling shoes.
While the main objective was to raise money for patients of the Children’s Hospital Boston — with some former patients even on hand to enjoy a night alongside some of Boston’s biggest celebrities — it was also a night filled with a solid bowling experience, although some bowlers fared better than others.
"Well, I don’t know who my teammates are, you know what I’m saying, so I’m just going to go and give it my best to try to get that 200 today," joked Boston-based rapper Akrobatik as he arrived. "I’m going to try my best to carry the team. If I don’t carry them with my play, I’ll do it with conversation, keep everybody in a light mood."
Sure enough, the mood was light. The balls rolled and the pins fell, but most importantly, the amount of money raised soared as the night went on. Country music artist Jason Aldean performed a concert at the House of Blues on Lansdowne Street after actual event.
And with Beckett slated to don a Sox uniform through 2014, it seems as though many more opportunities to raise money and make an impact within the community could soon be on the horizon.
Click here to view photos of the event.
