Red Sox Highlight Veterans Initiative

Red Sox Foundation

The Boston Red Sox and New Balance recently highlighted the Red Sox Foundation’s venture to help America’s veterans.  In coordination with the Red Sox Foundation’s initiative, the Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program, the program supports veterans as they recover from traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The ceremony at Fenway Park on June 23rd started with a 9K run and 3 mile walk for the adults, with each event ending at the Green Monster with a photo finish for each participant.  Each participant raised at least $1,000 to be able to enter the event, while active duty military personnel were only required to pay a $50 fee and no fundraising was required.  New Balance CEO Rob DeMartini has led the run each of the past four years since its inception in 2009, and came up with the appropriate slogan, “They served us. Now it’s our turn to serve them.”  The foundation has raised nearly $7.3 million in their efforts to help retired veterans to recover from their injuries.

The ceremonial first pitches were thrown before the game by DeMartini and retired US Army Sgt. First Class Robert Doyle, who was a 14-year veteran and served in Iraq from 2006 to 2007.  Doyle credits the Home Base Program with helping him to recover from his own battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Members of the US Army sang the national anthem, and there was a 7th inning salute to a military officer.  Also, four children who were the top fund-raisers for the event were honored in the 4th inning as the game’s Childhood Heroes.

For their work to help America’s veterans recover from their war injuries, The Good In Sports would like to honor the Boston Red Sox with a Gold Star.

• For more information about the Home Base Program, please visit their website at http://www.homebaseprogram.org.

• For more information about the Red Sox Foundation, please visit their website at http://www.redsoxfoundation.org.

• Follow the Red Sox on Twitter @RedSox, and the Red Sox Foundation at @RedSox_Fund.