Ten years ago, when the Boston Red Sox were sold to a trio of out-of-staters, the new owners signed a contract with state Attorney General Tom Reilly, promising to raise $20 million for area charities over 10 years. Soon after acquiring the team in February 2002, they established the Red Sox Foundation to fulfill that duty.
A report released Monday by the foundation reveals that it has donated more than twice that amount — a total of $52 million to charitable programs in the past decade — making the Red Sox by far the most charitable team in Major League Baseball.
Comments
Very impressive! Amidst all of the (largely justifiable in my opinion)heat ownership is taking for micromanaging the team and overengineering the ballpark experience to the point of it feeling like a theme park, we must give credit where credit is due. $52 million is a heck of a lot of money and it blows away the efforts of all other teams in Boston and throughout baseball. Performance like that can only happen with commitment from the top and genuinely decent human beings within the Red Sox organization. Congratulations!
What has been accomplished by the Red Sox Foundation is the work of a small dedicated staff of six full time employees and a large group of dedicated volunteers, a group I am so proud to be a part of. We love Fenway Park and the Red Sox...but we love the Red Sox Scholars, the RBI little league athletes, and the veterans served by the Home Base Program even more! RSF raises the funds and facilitates the efforts of their charities without revenue from ticket sales or concessions. A good deal of sweat and love goes into the efforts of the Red Sox Foundation...the love those involved with RSF have for the charities goes beyond what happens during 9 innings. The $52 million reflects the efforts of dedicated staff and volunteers and the generosity of Red Sox Nation, some generous sponsors and visiting fans (especially the Yankees) too!