RED SOX UNVEIL NEW INITIATIVES FOR CHILDREN IN 2015

RED SOX UNVEIL NEW INITIATIVES FOR CHILDREN IN 2015

“Calling All Kids,” Presented by Hood, Includes Free Tickets for Children,

Free Membership in Red Sox Kid Nation, and $9 Student Tickets;

“Gate K (for Kids)” will be Kid-Friendly Entrance into “Kids Concourse”

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox will introduce in 2015 a host of initiatives designed to bring children closer to the game. “Calling All Kids,” presented by Hood, will provide free membership in Red Sox Kid Nation, free tickets to as many as 25,000 kids, and new elements at Fenway Park including Gate K (for Kids), the Kids Concourse, and Wally’s Clubhouse.

For the first time, entry-level membership in Red Sox Kid Nation will be free, and every child in the program can attend a game for free.  (If necessary, the club will limit membership to 25,000.)  Membership is for children 14 and under. Fans can begin signing up for the membership and the tickets today, Monday, March 16, onredsox.com/kidnation.

Also, all high school and college students 15 and over with a student ID can purchase tickets for only $9 for every regular season home game.  The tickets guarantee at least an entry into standing room, but the club will also upgrade to seats when they are available.

Additionally, the Red Sox will create “Gate K (for Kids),” a kid-friendly entrance located adjacent to Gate B leading into the new Kids Concourse.  The right field area of the Big Concourse will be revamped with games, entertainment, Aramark concessions, and amenities.

Also in the Kids Concourse, the club will create “Wally’s Clubhouse” from the 3^rd through 7^th innings in the Champions Club presented by ALEX AND ANI, below the Royal Rooters Club.  The respite from extreme weather also provides room to play, walk around, and meet Wally the Green Monster.

“The point is simple: we want to do all we can to attract children to Fenway Park,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino. “We hope to do so at least three ways:  first, by providing greater access to Red Sox games to children and students; second, by enhancing their experience at the ballpark; and third, by strengthening the game of baseball among the young in our community. We are blessed with an extraordinary fan base that comprises many boys and girls. We want to help ensure that they fall in love with baseball, just as their parents and grandparents did before them.”

The Red Sox will also create community initiatives. The Red Sox Foundation will sponsor each of the 200 Little Leagues across Massachusetts and will again fund and operate 31 RBI teams (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) and Rookie Leagues serving more than 1200 children.  The foundation’s commitment is more than $220,000.

Building on the success of last year’s partnership between the Highland Street Foundation, the City of Boston, and the Red Sox, “Out of the Park” will return in 2015.  The free event for families at a city park emulates Fenway Park’s Yawkey Way atmosphere while fans watch a Red Sox road game on a giant screen.  The date and park will be announced in the future.  In addition to the event, the partners this year will collaborate to refurbish 10 ballfields in Boston.  Those fields will also be announced in the future. 

Free Tickets and Kid Nation Memberships for Children 14 and Under

In recent years, Red Sox Kid Nation (RSKN) – a fan club membership for kids launched in 2005 – had an entry fee of as much as $36.95. Starting in 2015, base membership will be free. Those who sign up for the free membership will be offered a free ticket to a regular season game at Fenway Park.  (The club may limit the free tickets to 25,000 children.)

“We would love to have such a demand problem,” said Red Sox Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Sam Kennedy, a key creator of the overall initiative. “Many of us remember with fondness the ability, as teens, to take the T to Kenmore Square with our friends, walk to Fenway Park, and buy a ticket to that night’s game.  We want to restore that life experience.”

For young fans who wish to choose additional amenities, a paid membership will also be available.  It includes an extra-early entrance into Fenway Park to watch batting practice, a youth-sized Red Sox jersey, a Red Sox player backpack, a discount at the Yawkey Way Store, and Kid Nation email newsletters.

“Gate K (for Kids)”

The Red Sox will create “Gate K (for Kids)” – an entrance dedicated to children and families near Gate B at the corner of Van Ness and Ipswich Streets.  The entrance leads to the Kids Concourse.

Kids Concourse

A revamped Kids Concourse is a roomy area of the original Big Concourse behind the right field corner with new attractions for young fans, including a six-foot nine-inch-tall Wally bobblehead, an interactive video wall that allows first-time fans to take photos and electronically sign their name to the video wall, and a Kid Nation welcome station.

The festive area will feature a balloon artist, stilt walker, and face painter. Kids will also see how they “measure up” to current Red Sox players by standing near pillars featuring actual size images of current players. They can also measure their own tiny footprints against those of the big feet of big leaguers on player footprints that will adorn the Kids Concourse walkways. 

Little Leaguers who imagine what they might look like when they grow up to be ballplayers can see giant baseball cards of Red Sox players and their Little League photos.

The Kids Concourse will also be the new home for old ballpark favorites such as the historic bullpen cart used in the 60’s and 70’s, the Red Sox Mickey Mouse statue, and the Wally Bench.

Aramark, the Fenway Park concessionaire, will create kid-themed offerings in the upper level of the Kids Concourse.  A $5 kids meal features a mini hot dog, cotton candy, and a small juice. Also, new souvenirs include a Wally ice-cream tray, cotton candy that comes with a novelty bat, and a glove-shaped tray with nachos or chicken fingers.  Other affordable, bite-size menu items include mini pigs-in-a-blanket, corn dogs, fried Oreo mini churro bites, and fried apples. 

Healthy options include fruit cups with grapes, sliced apples, and chopped watermelon, depending on the season, along with string cheeses.  Aramark will also surprise kids at random with free ice cream during the season.

Wally’s Clubhouse

Inside the Kids Concourse, Wally’s Clubhouse provides an indoor space open every game from the 3^rd to the 7^thinning.  Wally will visit in the third inning, and children can participate in interactive games and activities such as “Simon Says” and “Red Light/Green Light.”  Boys and girls can also enjoy craft tables, a safe play area for toddlers with toys and a slide, a beanbag toss, video games, and a balloon artist and face painter.

Kids Crew

Overseeing interaction with children in the Kids Concourse and Wally’s Clubhouse will be the new Red Sox Kids Crew, a staff who greet kids as they enter Gate K, lead children in games, and provide families with assistance and information about kid-friendly activities.

$9 Student Tickets for those 15 and older

The Red Sox will make tickets available for every home game for all students 15 and older – from high school through college.  The $9 ticket is the lowest at Fenway Park, and it guarantees at least standing room, but may also be upgraded to seats when they are available. 

The new $9 Student Tickets are available online at redsox.com/student. Students provide information and receive a special code via email to complete the purchase.

Student tickets will be delivered through My Tickets Mobile, via MLB’s Ballpark Application. Students can scan their tickets directly from their phone when they arrive at the ballpark gates, and are asked to bring their student ID for verification to gain entry.  In 2014, the club introduced a limited $9 standing room ticket for certain students. 

MAYOR WALSH LAUNCHES VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

MAYOR WALSH LAUNCHES VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

To support our local military heroes and provide better access to city contracts

BOSTON - March 16, 2015 - Today, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced he has signed an Executive Order creating the Veteran-Owned Small Business Development Initiative, aimed at increasing participation of veteran owned small businesses in City contracting opportunities. This Executive Order follows the Mayor’s announcement of the program during his Boston Chamber of Commerce speech in December 2014.

“I am proud to sign this executive order which gives us the opportunity to promote self-reliance, strengthen veteran owned businesses, and help those who have valiantly served this country, never asking for anything in return," said Mayor Walsh.

“This is a great opportunity for veteran business owners like myself to support the City of Boston and grow our companies,” said Richard Haughn, a former service member, and the owner of Bayside Embroidery, a custom screen printing and embroidery business in South Boston. “I want to thank Mayor Walsh for taking this innovative approach to supporting veterans who are also entrepreneurs.”

The Small and Local Business Enterprise Office (SLBE) will conduct outreach to identify Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) that may benefit from this initiative. The office will encourage businesses to verify their status as a VOSB by signing up at www.vetbiz.gov, and provide registered VOSBs with information and education regarding City contracting needs and policies.

The SLBE will compile and maintain a list of registered VOSBs that will be updated regularly and distributed to city departments. When procuring goods and services, public building projects, and building construction contracts, city departments will be instructed to solicit a quote from at least on VOSB. City departments will also inform the SLBE of all advertised contracting opportunities, which will distribute the information about the available opportunities to registered VOSBs.

The mission of the Small and Local Business Enterprise Office (S/LBE) is to create economic opportunity by certifying the availability of small business enterprises, small Boston-based business enterprises, and also minority-owned and woman-owned business enterprises, to City departments and advocating on behalf of these businesses to help them compete successfully for City contracts, as well as in the Boston area's economy as a whole.

波士頓慶聖派屈克日 早餐會上政要互調侃戲謔

麻州及波士頓市政要昨（十五）日紛紛現身南波士頓，出席當地已負盛名的聖派屈克日（St. Patrick’s Day）早餐會，說笑話，放映有趣視頻，還唱歌，讓數以百計的出席者警喜。

            去年的南波士頓聖派屈克日早餐會很有歷史性，因為麻州參議員傅莉（Linda Dorcena Forry）成為主持這“政治燒烤”早餐會的第一名女性，以及第一位有色人種，也為這活動注入新活力。

今年，她再度出任主持，一樣活力充沛，但經她介紹的出席嘉賓之多，拋出的笑話之戲謔，才締造了這早餐會的又一項歷史紀錄。

            會上先認真地放映了一段路影片，顯示傅莉和麻州州長查理貝克（Charlie Baker）在寒冷風雪中等巴士載他們到波士頓會議展覽中心，早餐會的舉行地點。這是反應今冬天氣糟糕，影響MBTA延誤。

然後由即將卸任，人們認為和查理貝克政府關係不好的MBTA總經理畢華麗史考特（Beverly Scott）所駕駛的這巴士，突然撞進了雪堆。史考特還揮手招他們上車，邊說“州長，現在你知道為什麼我絕沒理由把你放在巴士後面”，會場觀眾馬上大喊“綁安全帶”。

            接著傅莉邊唱“如果你是愛爾蘭人，這就是你的地方”，邊滑進會場。

            會上說得最多的笑話是波士頓有的，用各種傢俱，保留鏟雪鏟出來的停車位這傳統。

            查理貝克就假裝他是在冬季暴風雪中到傅萊明罕（Framinghan）的麻州緊急管理局，穿著該局背心，身邊站著許多官員的說，“好消息是：這歷史性冬天即將過去，我可以告訴你們，我很興奮要去工作”，“或者，至少我會很高興去工作，如果奚莉（Maura Healey）不再把她的草坪椅放在我的停車位上”。

            這個笑話是暗指民主黨籍的麻州總檢察官奚莉，已被人們視為查理貝克2018年競選連任時的潛在挑戰者。

            新英格蘭愛國者隊東主羅伯卡夫特（Robert Kraft）說他有個非常有效的保留位子工具，然後把超級盃獎盃拿了出來。

            美國副總統拜登（Joe Biden）也出人意料之外的打電話來，而且就如他已出名的發言冗長，也說了許多話。聯邦眾議員林奇（Stephen F. Lynch）笑說，希望他不是打的對方付費電話。

            聯邦參議員伊莉莎白沃倫（Elizabeth Warren）半開玩笑的說，她的發言會比林奇短些，比拜登好笑些。她拿她取而代之的前聯邦參議員布朗（Scott Brown），以及麻州前州長暨總統候選人朗尼（Mitt Romney）做文章。她說從她上次出席這早餐會以來，一直專注經濟問題，知道有很多人已完全放棄找工作，不過不要再談布朗了，這個冬天實在殘酷，連朗尼都把錢留在這兒，自己跑到開曼群島去了。她還因為幫美國國務卿克里（John Kerry）家前的人行道鏟雪，賺了一百塊錢。

            波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Martin J. Walsh）用了很多他的記者會視頻來開玩笑，包括星際大戰，前麻州州長杜卡吉斯的特別現身等，馬丁華殊最後還宣佈他辭職要去競選佛羅里達州勞德岱爾堡（Fort Lauderdale）市長。          

 圖片說明：

            波士頓市議會議長林乃肯（Bill Linehan）（右）和麻州副州長白莉朵（Karyn Polito）參加聖派屈克日遊行。（圖由陳偉民提供）

            波士頓市長馬丁華殊（左一）為聖派屈克日應景，打綠色領帶。（圖由陳偉民提供）

            麻州州長查理貝克（中）和愛國者球隊東主羅伯卡夫特在遊行出發前寒暄。（圖由陳偉民提供）

            麻州及波士頓政要，多人參加聖派屈克日遊行。（圖由陳偉民提供）

            羅德島州克蘭斯頓市市長馮偉杰（右）和新港市長Jeanne-Marie Napolitano（左）。（馮偉杰授權使用）

            摩頓市民主黨員也舉行聖派屈克日聚會。摩頓市居民羅祖德（左），阮鴻燦（右）和代表摩頓市的聯邦參議員克拉克（中）相見歡。（羅祖德提供）

            摩頓市民主黨員也舉行聖派屈克日聚會。摩頓市居民羅祖德（左），阮鴻燦（右）和摩頓市市長葛帝生（中）合影。（羅祖德提供）

羅德島大學孔子學院為耆英辦文化活動慶新春

羅德島大學孔子學院教師日前應羅州南金士頓老人中心之邀，舉辦春節文化講座，廿餘名社區老人聽講，欣賞視頻，親手動筆寫毛筆字，個個興致盎然。

            中國熱在世界各地都很火紅，但即使是美國，仍有許多人對中國文化認識不多，羅德島大學孔子學院五名志願教師的內容豐富講座，當日大受歡迎。

            志願老師們以春節源起，發展，習俗為主題，用視頻，圖片輔助介紹中國傳統節日中慶祝農曆新年都有哪些活動，其文化內涵為何，並拿來和美國的感恩節，聖誕節等重要節日做比較，幫助耆英們進一步了解中國民間習俗。

            志願老師們還即席回答疑問，安排體驗互動環節，拿出“福”字春聯，發新年紅包，既因應講座內容，也表達孔子學院向老人中心獻上的新春祝福。

            羅德島大學孔子學院的志願老師們很認真，當天佈置了書法，剪紙，中國結等三個文化體驗區，讓耆英們親自動手，有的寫幅字，有的剪喜字春聯，有的編中國結，每個人都忙得不可開交，還學說“新年快樂”，“恭喜發財”等簡單中文，彼此用中國的傳統方式拜年，現場一片歡樂氣氛。

            羅德島大學孔子學院表示，幫助美國人認識中國文化，語言是該院的長期努力目標，他們很高興有機會在為社區提供服務的同時，也宣揚了中國文化，語言。

圖片說明：

            羅德島大學孔子學院為南金士頓老人中心辦春節文化講座。（圖由羅德島大學孔子學院提供）

波士頓台山同鄉慶新春 中領館副總領事到賀

大波士頓台山鄉親聯誼會日前在帝苑大酒樓慶祝羊年新春，中國駐紐約總領事館副總領事鍾瑞明，僑務領事馬翠宏專程到賀，四、五百人歡聚一堂。

            台山鄉親聯誼會會長李照桃，副會長朱星發，黃漢湖，吳子瑞，許惠儀等人當晚一新歷年來的春宴嘉賓名單，在紐英崙中華公所主席阮鴻燦，帝苑大酒樓東主黃官羨之外，今年改請劍橋中國文化中心副董事長暨劍橋中文學校校長陶凱，理事高青，華人經濟發展委員會助理行政主任吳敏，全美中餐業聯盟常務副主席李日騰等人與首度參加台山鄉親會春宴的中領館鍾瑞明副總領事同坐主桌。

            鍾瑞明代表新到任的章啟月大使，向出席僑胞拜年，強調祖國的繁榮，離不開僑胞的支持。他也透露，為增進中美友好，美國總統奧巴馬已發出邀請，中國國家主席習近平預定今年九月正式訪美，出席聯合國成立七十週年紀念，並進行國事訪問，為建立大國關係達成共識。

            席間，台山鄉親婦女部，合唱團做餘興表演，在譚錫莊指揮下高歌“大家恭喜”，“情對祖國講，愛對祖國說”，“我的中國心”時，鍾瑞明和馬翠宏加入合唱隊伍。鍾瑞明忍不住說，其中一首歌有“中國外交官之歌“稱譽，沒想到台山同鄉們會選唱，讓他格外感動。

            當晚應邀致詞的嘉賓，除了中華公所主席阮鴻燦等人之外，還有遠從羅德島州來的敦煌文化服務中心主任陸威婷。

            台山鄉親聯誼會今年的司儀也換了新人，由中青輩的麥冬玲，黃恭蓮主持，安排的表演節目包括陳沃舜詩朗誦，婦女組團體舞“好運來“，周美桃率領的養生舞聯誼會表演太極扇舞，見聞旅行社經理男聲獨唱，婦女組跳拉丁舞，以及卡拉OK，抽獎等。

            當天會場掛出“春回大地，花卉競妍，各顯其秀；詩逢盛世，人才輩出，畫善所長”兩幅長對聯，儼然描繪了大波士頓台山鄉親多文人雅士。

圖片說明：

            前排右起，許惠儀，馬翠宏，吳子瑞，阮鴻燦，黃官羨，鍾瑞明，李照桃，朱星發，陶凱（第二排左一），李日騰（第三排左二）等人合影。（菊子攝）

            中國駐紐約總領事館副總領事鍾瑞明（中），領事馬翠宏（右一）和台山鄉親聯誼會會長李照桃（右二起），顧問黃官羨，副會長黃漢湖寒暄。（菊子攝）

            前左起，馬翠宏，鍾瑞明和台山鄉親婦女部合唱。（菊子攝）

            台山鄉親副會長許惠儀邀敦煌文化服務社陸威婷出席。（菊子攝）

            周美桃（前中）率會員表演太極扇舞。（菊子攝）

            台山鄉親聯誼會今年由兩名新人麥冬玲（左），黃恭蓮（右）擔任司儀。