Red Sox & WooSox Hall of Famer Rich Gedman and Outfielder Corey Rosier to Join Fourth Annual "WooSox Foundation Holiday Care-A-Van"

WORCESTER, MA — Boston Red Sox and Worcester Red Sox Hall of Famer Rich Gedman and WooSox outfielder Corey Rosier will participate in the fourth annual “WooSox Foundation Holiday Caravan,” which takes place on Wednesday through Friday this week.

WooSox officials and the “Central MASScots”––Smiley Ball, Woofster the WonderDog, Roberto the Rocket, and Clara the Heart of the Commonwealth––will distribute hundreds of gifts and spread cheer at local charities, schools, and the UMass Memorial Medical Center. The contingent will ride in the WooSox Foundation Care-A-Van, presented by Bank of America.

On the morning of Wednesday, December 11, Gedman, Rosier, and club officials will volunteer at St. John’s Food for the Poor. Then, the group will distribute 200 Smiley Ball plushies to patients at the UMass Memorial Medical Center.

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Polar Park will welcome 130 students from Worcester’s Vernon Hill Elementary School for the fourth annual Holiday Luncheon—featuring a hot lunch and cool gifts designed to keep the students warm this winter.

The day concludes with a trip to the Central Community Branch YMCA, as well as Nazareth Home in Leicester, where the WooSox will team up with their friend Mike Novia and the Jr. WooSox to provide an assortment of gifts to children in need.

On Thursday morning, the foundation will help the Juniper Outreach Foundation establish their brand-new food pantry at Vernon Hill Elementary School. Then, foundation staff and volunteers will pass out 120 hygiene kits to people experiencing homelessness at the Queen Street SMOC shelter.

From 4–5:30 p.m. on Thursday, the WooSox will join Why Me & Sherry’s House for their holiday parade and to donate “Kits for Kids” to families battling cancer. Then, from 6:15–7:15 p.m., City Councilor Luis Ojeda––who on Saturday received the Diamond Sports Award at the third annual “WooSox Foundation Honors” gala––will bring children within the TLK Sports organization to Polar Park to have a sneak preview and play in the soon-to-open “WooCages.”

On Friday morning, the caravan will donate household essentials and hygiene products at Abby’s House, which empowers women and children with safe housing, support, and advocacy. The caravan will also visit Worcester’s Kiva Center, which provides mental health support.

To conclude the three-day initiative, the caravan will visit each high school attended by their 16 WooSox Scholars.

Media can contact Senior Vice President of Communications Bill Wanless at [email protected] to arrange coverage.

––WOOSOX ’24––