Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Boston Red Sox charity raises more than $50 million
The Boston Red Sox may not be happy with their season this year, but they can proud of the amount of money they have raised for the Red Sox Foundation. In the past 10 years, the foundation has raised more than $50 million, which is well over the goal of $20 million set a decade ago, according to The Boston Globe.
The money goes to various charities working with the foundation, including Red Sox Scholars, which aims to improve the lives of Boston public school students.
"Frankly, they do some of the best work in the country, not just in Major League Baseball but all sports," Greg Johnson, the executive director of the Sports Philanthropy Project, told the news source. "It's not just using cash but leveraging the vast amount of assets - the ticket donations, ballpark signage, corporate sponsors, the players, the professional staff - in tackling problems."
Johnson's project, which is headquartered in Cambridge, studies professional sports teams and their charitable efforts.
"We take very seriously the Red Sox commitment to community, whether in New England or at our spring training home in South Florida," Larry Lucchino, president and CEO of the team, told the media outlet. "We know need has no offseason."
In 2010, the Red Sox Foundation donated $7.6 million. The New York Yankees Foundation came in second that year with $3.6 million and the New York Mets snagged third with $1.9 million, according to the publication.
The foundation has helped countless students over the past decade, including Stephan Phoenix, who was able to achieve his dream of going to college with the charity's help.
“The Red Sox Foundation encouraged me and gave me incredible opportunities through middle and high school," Phoenix, a student at UMass Boston, told the news source. "I'm the first in my family to go to college and I’m determined to open the door for other kids."
Individuals who want to enhance the lives of public school students across the country by donating have a great deal of charities to choose from. Communities In Schools is one of the many, as it works to give students what they need by building relationships with local businesses and healthcare providers to garner resources.
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