WooSox to Honor Community Heroes at Third Annual "WooSox Foundation Honors" Gala Saturday, December 7, at Polar Park

WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester Red Sox will honor community heroes in Education, Social Justice, Conquering Cancer, and Diamond Sports at their third annual “WooSox Foundation Honors” gala at Polar Park on Saturday evening, December 7, 2024. Complimentary valet parking will be offered on Washington Street near Polar Park’s Gate C entrance.

The ballpark opens at 5 p.m., cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m., and dinner is served at 7 p.m.

The gala is the largest fundraiser for the WooSox Foundation, the club’s charitable arm, whose “Starting 9” areas of focus include Education, Social Justice, Conquering Cancer, Diamond Sports, Mental Health, Veterans, Frontline Heroes, Pets, and Arts & Culture.

This year, the WooSox will honor Maura Mahoney (Education), Julie Bowditch (Social Justice), Dr. Lee Nadler (Conquering Cancer), and Worcester City Councilor Luis Ojeda (Diamond Sports).

Tables of 10 are available for $2,500, and individual tickets are available for $250. To learn more or to purchase tickets, please visit woosoxfoundation.org/honors.

Tom Caron, who hosts the New England Sports Network’s (NESN) Red Sox coverage, including the Red Sox pre-game and post-game shows, will serve as emcee of the evening’s programming. On August 14, 2024, Caron was named co-chairman of the Jimmy Fund, a role held by the late Red Sox Hall of Famer and WooSox Chairman Larry Lucchino from 2016 until his passing in April.

The WooSox will present a lifetime achievement award to Joe Castiglione, who retired from broadcasting after the 2024 season after being the voice of the Red Sox for 42 years. In July, Castiglione was enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award.

Following dinner and the awards show, all are invited down to the WooSox Clubhouse for an after-party. Guests can get a sneak preview of Polar Park’s forthcoming “WooCages,” twin batting cages on Madison Street for players to use. WooSox Foundation Honors guests will have the opportunity to be among the first to take swings in the batting cages.

The foundation will host a silent auction and a live auction. One offering is the opportunity to “Be a WooSox Player for a Day” by receiving a full WooSox uniform to keep, as well as the chance to work out on the field with the players before the game, throw a Ceremonial First Pitch, participate in the television broadcast in the NESN booth, and enjoy four front-row seats to that night’s game.

Maura Mahoney played a pioneering role in helping establish mental health and wellness days at Polar Park in 2024. On May 24, all Worcester Public Schools seventh graders, approximately 1,700, enjoyed a day of fun, food, and fresh air—without the use of cell phones—at the city’s downtown ballpark.

Julie Bowditch heads the CASA Project and has enhanced the lives of numerous children hoping for homes and security. She has brought many of them to WooSox games. She also volunteers in the “Nacho & Ice Cream” concession stand at Polar Park each season to raise money for CASA and her other favorite causes.

The humanitarian appeared on the Worcester Business Journal’s “Power 100” list in 2024, their “Power 50” list in 2023, and their “40 Under Forty” list in 2019. Bowditch has also received two keys to the City of Worcester for her civic efforts.

Dr. Lee Nadler is the world-renowned oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who in 1985 initiated experimental therapies that saved the life of a young attorney at the Baltimore Orioles: Larry Lucchino. Dr. Nadler also saved Lucchino’s life two more times, enabling the future Hall of Famer to create Oriole Park at Camden Yards, to save Fenway Park, and to create Polar Park in Worcester, all among his five ballpark projects and five World Championships.

Councilor Luis Ojeda began his partnership with the WooSox long before he ran for office. As the owner of TLK Sports, his community clinics have given young people in the Green Island neighborhood and surrounding areas the opportunity to learn about baseball from WooSox players, Red Sox stars, and young Worcester Bravehearts players.

Dinner features steak & lobster, garlic mashed potatoes, and broccolini. Guests who opt for a vegetarian option can enjoy stuffed zucchini topped with grilled vegetables and served with potatoes. After dinner, all can enjoy an ice cream sundae bar.

The WooSox Foundation was established on January 28, 2020, and immediately announced the creation of its WooSox Scholars program, which annually provides four $10,000 college scholarships to eighth graders in Worcester Public Schools. Thus far, the program comprises 16 WooSox Scholars.

In 2024, the WooSox and WooSox Foundation invested more than $64,000 in Worcester Public Schools initiatives. At the annual Minor League Baseball Business Summit in October, the WooSox were one of just eight finalists among 120 clubs for the CommUNITY Champion Award, which the WooSox won in their inaugural year in 2021.

–WOOSOX ’24–