Have you ever wanted to ice skate at Fenway Park? Well, the Red Sox Foundation's holiday raffle is giving 150 fans a chance to do just that.
America's most beloved ballpark is being turned into a hockey rink for the upcoming 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and Sun Life Frozen Fenway, the first time that the grounds of 4 Yawkey Way have been (purposely) covered with ice. And the raffle — which proceeds will benefit the Red Sox Foundation's new Home Base Program for military veterans with traumatic brain Injuries (TBI) or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — will offer 75 lucky winners to bring a guest and skate into history.
Tickets for the raffle will go on sale on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 5:00 p.m. and will be available until noon on Sunday, Jan. 3 (or until all of them have been sold). The cost for one ticket is $10 and anyone over the age of 18 can purchase them in person through the Red Sox Foundation, the Red Sox ticket office at Fenway Park, or at other locations throughout Boston beginning Dec. 7. Massachusetts residents can also buy tickets online once they go on sale.
The raffle is expected to serve as a fundraiser for the newly created "Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program" which was announced at a ceremony at Fenway Park in September. The program offers clinical service to veterans returning from tours of duty who are suffering from the effects of TBI or PTSD. It is also dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research, providing family outreach, and educating veterans, their families, health professionals, social workers, clergy, and the community about the dangers of the two "signature wounds" of the ongoing wars.
The raffle drawing will be held on Monday, Jan. 4, when the 75 winning tickets will be selected. The numbers of the winning tickets will be posted on the Red Sox Foundation's Web site. The winners and their guests will be able to bring their ice skates to Fenway Park from 9-10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9.
