Fenway Sports Group partner Linda Pizzuti Henry and pitcher Jake Peavy handed out free hats to students at the Sarah Greenwood K-8 School on Glenway Street Monday morning as part of the annual Red Sox Hat Day. Seth Daniel photo
Red Sox manager Alex Cora, pitcher Jake Peavy, co-owner Linda Pizzuti Henry ,and President/CEO Sam Kennedy dropped in on the Sarah Greenwood K-8 school in Dorchester on Glenway Street on Monday morning with gifts for the students: red and green Red Sox caps that Mayor Michelle Wu— who also joined the festivities— said were “specially designed hats just for you.
“You are the only people anywhere to have these exact style of Red Sox hats,” the mayor said. “That ‘B’ on the hat is not just a Red Sox ‘B,’ but represents the heart of Boston because we are one team in Boston.”
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora signed a water bottle for Greenwood student Marzelys Pereyra. Seth Daniel photo
The Red Sox played their home opener last Thursday against the San Diego Padres in opening their first home stand of the season at Fenway Park. And every year coinciding with the first game of the season, the organization gathers at a Boston Public School (BPS) for ‘Hat Day.’
Monday’s event was the first at a Dorchester or Mattapan school in several years. Each student and teacher received a limited edition Red Sox hat, this time the popular ‘City Connect’ version of the hat with light green to mimic the color of the Green Monster at Fenway.
Mayor Wu joined the Green Monsters Wally and Tessie in a round of the ‘Macarena.’ Seth Daniel photo
As an extra surprise, Kennedy announced that every student and educator at the Greenwood would receive two tickets for a future home game — news that was greeted with screams of joy.
Cora said the excitement was a bit of a mood-lifter for him as the team has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start this spring, winning just two of their first nine games before winning a big series against Milwaukee later in the week at Fenway.
“Your reaction just now made my day,” Cora told the crowd. “Sometimes we go to Fenway Park every single day and it becomes normal – like, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s Fenway Park.’ But the reaction to everyone getting two tickets to come to Fenway Park was amazing. I want to thank you for bringing the energy and staying positive.”
Principal Antonelli Mejia said the visit was a great boost for the Greenwood, which doesn’t get an extraordinary amount of attention as a bi-lingual English/Spanish K-8. He said he has been working hard to elevate the school’s brand and to get the word out about how the Greenwood is improving every day.
Greenwood student Yerison Aybar showed off his City Connect Red Sox hat. Seth Daniel photos
BPS Supt. Mary Skipper was all smiles as she handed out special Red Sox hats to the kids.
Sarah Greenwood students crowded into the auditorium on Monday for the annual Red Sox Hat Day event. Every student got a hat and students and educators were surprised with two tickets to an upcoming home game.
