Red Sox Foundation Awards $750,000 to Square One, Pedro Martinez Foundation
BOSTON — The Red Sox Foundation announced the creation of its Special Recognition Award, granting $750,000 in its inaugural year to support large-scale, high-impact community investments. The first honorees, Square One and the Pedro Martinez Foundation, will use the funding to expand educational opportunities and strengthen community resources in underserved areas of the Dominican Republic and Western Mass.
Each year, the award initiative will allow the foundation’s board of directors to award transformative gifts to nonprofit partners advancing its mission in education and recreation. The Special Recognition Award expands on the foundation’s existing mission and programs, with honorees identified and selected directly by the Red Sox Foundation board of directors.
The inaugural recipients will be formally recognized with on-field check presentations during pregame ceremonies today, Sept. 12, at Fenway Park before the 7:10 p.m. Red Sox-Yankees game.
“From the start, the Red Sox Foundation has aimed to do more than provide incremental support,” Red Sox Foundation Chairman Tom Werner said. “We want to spark meaningful, lasting change. Many of our programs already reflect that philosophy, whether through mentorship, veteran services, or partnerships that strengthen families and neighborhoods. With the Special Recognition Award, we are building on that foundation by committing to a few larger-scale donations each year that will make significant impact. For many organizations, this kind of investment can be transformative, and our hope is that it helps empower families, expand opportunities for young people, and create outcomes that endure for generations.”
Square One of Springfield will receive $400,000 to support the construction of an outdoor learning center and play space for preschool-aged children, part of the organization’s ongoing $19 million “Back to Square One” capital campaign to rebuild its campus after a tornado destroyed its South End facility in 2011.
“For more than 140 years, Square One has been Springfield’s anchor for early education and family stability — through tornadoes, economic shifts, and global crises. Our ‘Back to Square One’ capital campaign is about restoring and renewing those critical services where they’re needed most, and the Red Sox Foundation’s recognition is paramount to its success,” said Dawn DiStefano, president and CEO of Square One. “These funds will create an outdoor learning center grounded in a play-based, trauma-informed curriculum tailored to the families we serve. We’re not just building a new campus — we’re nurturing lifelong learners, confident parents, and a stronger community.”
The Pedro Martinez Foundation will receive $350,000 toward the creation of a new library inside its Community & Health Center in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic. The Red Sox have deep ties to the Dominican Republic through both player development and community engagement, including the foundation’s longstanding Lindos Sueños program, a partner of the Pedro Martinez Foundation. The new library will provide reading areas, computer access, and study spaces for more than 1,700 students, while also serving adult community members.
“Growing up in the Dominican Republic, I experienced firsthand the struggles that many children face — limited access to education, healthcare, and overall safe spaces where kids can be kids. The Pedro Martinez Foundation’s mission from the start has been to provide children with opportunities to thrive in life despite their challenges,” said former Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez, who was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. “This award will help us build a library located in our Community Center that will become a place of learning and imagination for thousands of students and their families. We are grateful to the Red Sox Foundation for investing in future generations of the Dominican Republic.”