By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
The Pawtucket Red Sox plan a series of community events including “kids free” dates at McCoy Stadium as they plan their move to Worcester after the 2020 season, including sharing any profits with the City of Pawtucket during the 2019 season.
The team cautioned in a statement that it would equally share in profits, “if any” with Pawtucket, even though the team does not current project to generate any profit. Team President Dr. Charles Steinberg said he did not know whether or when the Pawsox showed any profit.
In addition to free admission to children ages 12 and under during weeknight games in April and May, the team said it would revive it’s “Swing into Summer” program, offering free admission during June, July or August to to all Rhode Island school children in kindergarten through grade 12 who successfully advance to the next grade level at the end of the school year.
“We’re going to figure out a way to do some good deed, some act of kindness for each town,” across Rhode Island, said Steinberg. “It may be small. It may mean visiting a senior center, it may mean providing some socks to children when the weather gets cold.”
Steinberg said the team current provides about $100,000 worth of charitable aid to communities each year, and plans to double that commitment in the coming two years.
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said he has been open to the team’s offers, despite dropping its long-time home in a move to Worcester.
“It’s about the charitable contributions. If they go, there’s nothing here, right? We’re going to have that void. They give a lot to the Boys and Girls Club, to the YMCA. That commitment. The commitment and the mentorship and the involvement. That’s important,” Grebien said.
