BOSTON, MA - The Red Sox Foundation will introduce recipients of the Rhode Island Red Sox Service Scholarships during a pregame ceremony at Fenway Park before the Red Sox-Diamondbacks game on Saturday, August 13. The program awards students from 35 different high schools across Rhode Island with $1,000 scholarships towards a student's college education based on academic performance, financial aid eligibility, and demonstrated community service.
 
The scholarship recipients will be congratulated on the field at Fenway Park by Red Sox Foundation Board member Linda Pizzuti Henry, Red Sox Executive Vice President Troup Parkinson, Red Sox Senior Vice President/Special Counsel and Government Affairs David Friedman, and Red Sox Foundation Executive Director Gena Borson. Representatives from Ford Motor Company Fund and National Grid, both sponsors of the program, will also be on hand to congratulate the scholarship recipients.
 
The Rhode Island Service Scholarship program was introduced in 2012 by former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, and Red Sox Principal Owner John W. Henry and his wife Linda Pizzuti Henry. The program has grown each year since its introduction, with a total of 35 students from 35 different Rhode Island public schools chosen this year - up from 30 in 2015, 25 in 2014, 20 in 2013, and 10 students in 2012.
 
The foundation will also honor the Rhode Island winner of the "IMPACT Awards" (Inspiring More Philanthropy Across Charities Together) on Saturday, a program that provides Red Sox fans in the five New England states outside of Massachusetts with the opportunity to vote for their favorite local charities to determine the one awarded a $10,000 grant.
 
Friends Way, an organization that offers open-ended group counseling for children and their families following the death of a significant person in their lives, is the winner of the Rhode Island IMPACT Award. The Warwick, Rhode Island-based organization will be presented with a $10,000 check from the Red Sox Foundation during Saturday's pregame ceremonies.
 
The August 13 ceremonies are part of Rhode Island Day at Fenway Park. The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by National Grid President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Horan.
 
Hailey O'Connell of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and granddaughter of former Red Sox pitching coach Michael Roarke, will perform the National Anthem. The Narragansett, Rhode Island Police Department will carry the colors, and children from St. Mary's Home in North Providence will say "Play ball."