2010 Red Sox Foundation Welcome Home Dinner Presented by Covidien to Take Place on Monday, April 5 at House of Blues Boston

BOSTON, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2010 Red Sox Foundation Welcome Home Dinner Presented by Covidien will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, April 5, at House of Blues Boston located at 15 Lansdowne Street, directly across from Fenway Park. The event, which will occur the day after the team's season opener against the New York Yankees on Sunday night, benefits the Red Sox Foundation and will be attended by the players, coaches, owners and management of the 2010 Boston Red Sox.

A highlight of this charitable event will be a humorous parody of a TV game show based on the long-running hit, 'Match Game."  Red Sox players and coaches will serve as 'celebrity panelists' and will compete as they attempt to match their fill-in-the-blank answers.  Red Sox players will also attend a VIP reception with Welcome Home Dinner Sponsors before the show.

"The Welcome Home Dinner will be the first time that fans in Boston will have an opportunity to meet the 2010 Red Sox team in person," said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner.  "The event promises to be a night of fun as the team and our fans meet and mingle and create what we hope to be some memorable and humorous moments.  We greatly appreciate the efforts of our players, corporate sponsors and fans who are coming out to help raise funds for the Red Sox Foundation's charitable programs."

The guest speaker at this year's Welcome Home Dinner is Chief Petty Officer Bryan Zimmerman, a decorated Naval officer who served two tours of duty in Iraq.  Zimmerman will be speaking about his experiences with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury to increase awareness of the Red Sox Foundation's new Home Base Program for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Recent studies suggest that as many as 30 percent of recent veterans are affected by one or both of these so called 'invisible wounds of war.'

Covidien is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2010 Red Sox Foundation Welcome Home Dinner.  Other major sponsors include Ace Ticket, CVS Caremark Charity Classic, Bank of America, Fireman Foundation, Millennium Pharmaceuticals – a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, State Street Corporation and Target Corporation.

"As a global medical products company with substantial local roots, Covidien has a deep commitment to this community and understands the importance of working with others as a team, " said Eric Kraus, Senior Vice President, Covidien. "We are proud to team up with a championship charity like the Red Sox Foundation and the fans of Red Sox Nation."

About the Red Sox Foundation: The official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Red Sox Foundation is committed to using the power of Red Sox Nation to support community partnerships that will improve the lives of children, adults and families across New England.  The Foundation's efforts are primarily focused on four cornerstone programs, and the new Home Base Program.  A 501(c)3 nonprofit, the Red Sox Foundation raises most of its funds through special events with Red Sox owners, players and their wives,  donations and fundraising activities. Founded and initially funded by Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, President/CEO Larry Lucchino and their partners, the Red Sox Foundation has won numerous awards for its innovative programs and impact in the community including the 2009 BEST TEAM CHARITY IN SPORTS Award presented by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Sports Philanthropy Project. For more information about the Red Sox Foundation, please visit www.redsoxfoundation.org.

All media inquiries regarding the Welcome Home Dinner should be forwarded to Joe Ganley of Weber Shandwick Worldwide at 617-320-0764 / [email protected].

SOURCE Red Sox Foundation