Red Sox support local Boys & Girls Clubs

A trio of Boston Red Sox players signed autographs at Evening at the Ballpark. COURTESY PHOTOS

An event called Evening at the Ballpark brought together baseball fans and Boys & Girls Club supporters at JetBlue Park.

The fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club featured an exclusive season preview of the Boston Red Sox, interviews with players, food, drinks, games, raffles and photos.

“Major League Baseball and Boys & Girls Clubs of America have enjoyed a great relationship for nearly three decades, and the partnership has impacted so many children and teens across the country, including right here in Southwest Florida,” said Denise Gergley, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. “Although spring training only lasts six weeks, the positive impact in our community is felt year-round.”

The event raised $67,000 to support Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County’s After school Program and Summer Enrichment Program, which focus on five core areas: education and career, service and leadership, health and wellness, the arts, and sports and recreation. Boys & Girls Clubs operates eight community, neighborhood and school programs in Lee County.

Evening at the Ballpark attracted 175 supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County.

Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino took a moment to encourage community members to support Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County, “being in a house where you go home and no parents are there, it’s hard to make the right decisions, it’s hard to have the guidance. If you can go to the Boys & Girls Club, you’re amongst your peers, your classmates and kids from other schools, and you’re being watched over and taught the right things while your parents are out there at work. On the parents’ side, it’s amazing knowing that your kids are well looked after.”

At the event’s conclusion, Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County asked audience members to sponsor 50 youth for the Summer Enrichment Program at a sponsorship cost of $500 each. In less than five minutes, the organization received enough pledges to cover fees for 51 students, including a generous pledge from the Red Sox Foundation to sponsor 20 youth.

Baseball conversation

Red Sox broadcaster Tom Caron asked three Red Sox players to address their expectations as the 2024 regular season gets underway. All three were highly optimistic about this year’s team.

Catcher Connor Wong: “We’re just going to go out there and do our best to try to win ballgames. I don’t think it’s about who’s on the other side. It’s about us — if we take care of what we need to take care of, I think we’ll be alright.”

Pitcher Brennan Bernardino: “We have enough pitching. We’re a good team, and this year, we’ve got a lot of guys healthy. That was an issue with last year; it’s part of the game, people get injured. If we stay healthy this year, we have a great pitching staff… I’ve got really high hopes for this year.”

Left Fielder Tyler O’Neill: “There is a lot of young talent in this locker room. We have no egos here. There is good leadership here. I honestly feel like there is a lot of potential for this ballclub.” ¦

The post Red Sox support local Boys & Girls Clubs first appeared on Fort Myers Florida Weekly .