Brockton, MA. (October 10, 2024) – Yawkey Foundation and Good Sports are teaming up to provide new baseball equipment to the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South. To celebrate this partnership, Yawkey Foundation and Good Sports will host an equipment unveiling experience for the baseball participants at the Boys & Girls Club where they will get to see all the new equipment on display.

This equipment, provided in partnership with Good Sports, a national nonprofit that drives equitable access in youth sports and physical activity for kids, includes bats, helmets, catchers gear, gloves, bases, and bags for youth baseball players. In total, 270 pieces of equipment are being donated, totaling $13,270 in value. This donation will introduce youth to the fundamentals of baseball and relieve the financial burden on the participants’ families, by providing the equipment needed for quality baseball programming.

“For the past 19 years we have had the amazing opportunity to work with the Yawkey Foundation to give the gift of baseball and softball to children in the Greater Boston area. Good Sports is thrilled to work with them yet again, this time, to support the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South. Because of this equipment donation, the children that attend the club will have the opportunity to experience the joy and undeniable impact of playing a sport they love.” – Melissa Harper, Co-Founder & CEO.

“Tom Yawkey was passionate about baseball from the time he was a young boy and throughout his lifetime, and his wife Jean Yawkey also came to love the game, too,” said Maureen H. Bleday, CEO of Yawkey Foundation. “As owners of the Boston Red Sox for seven decades, not only were the Yawkeys avid fans, but they also understood how the game brought together players, fans, and communities – which is clearly just as true today as it was when Tom bought the team in 1933. In perpetuating their legacy, the Yawkey Foundation Trustees are delighted to partner with Good Sports and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South to increase access to baseball and softball in Brockton.”

“We’re incredibly grateful to Good Sports and our longtime mutual partner, the Yawkey Foundation, for this tremendous gift,” said Monica Lombardo, Vice President & Chief Advancement Officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South. “At BGCMS, our Sports & Recreation programs are designed to help keep our members active while promoting positive use of leisure time, promoting their health and fitness, and strengthening their social skills through participation in team-oriented activities. Team sports help our members develop a sense of belonging and commitment to others. They also teach our youth how to set goals and work together to achieve them. This generous donation of high-quality equipment will make a tremendous impact on our ability to offer baseball programming and activities that will introduce youth to the fundamentals of sport and support their skill development in this beloved pastime.”

About Good Sports

Good Sports drives equitable access in youth sports and physical activity, by supporting children in high-need communities to achieve their greatest potential, on the field and in life. Since 2003, Good Sports has provided nearly $110 million in sports equipment, impacting over 10 million kids from more than 6,370 youth programs across the country. Good Sports has been awarded a coveted 4-star rating nine consecutive times from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator, for sound fiscal management, transparency, and accountability. Additionally, Good Sports holds the top-level Platinum seal from GuideStar and is a Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance accredited charity. To learn more or to get involved, please visit www.goodsports.org and follow Good Sports on Facebook @GSportsInc, Twitter @goodsportsinc, Instagram @goodsportsinc, and LinkedIn @Good Sports, Inc.

About Yawkey Foundation.

The Yawkey Foundation is dedicated to perpetuating the philanthropic legacy of Tom Yawkey and Jean Yawkey, whose eight decades of quiet generosity supported individuals and families in the communities that were closest to their hearts – Massachusetts and Georgetown County, South Carolina. Having awarded more than $575 million to date in charitable grants to organizations focused on Health Care, Education, Human Services, Youth and Amateur Athletics, Arts and Culture, and Conservation and Wildlife, Yawkey Foundation is committed to preserving and sustaining the charitable values of the Yawkeys by investing in impactful nonprofits providing resources, opportunity, and dignity to the vulnerable and underserved. For more information, please visit www.yawkeyfoundation.org and LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.