BOSTON, MA – The Red Sox Foundation today announced the winners of the 6th annual “IMPACT” Awards presented by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Red Sox fans in the six New England states were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite local non-profits to decide which organizations received grants.

The theme of the IMPACT Awards changes annually, with this year’s focus on organizations that have demonstrated an impact on raising awareness and improving the mental health outcomes in their community. The top two charities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont receive $10,000 and $2,500 awards for the first and second place winners, respectively.

This year’s winners of the IMPACT Award presented by Ruderman Family Foundation are as follows:

Connecticut

·      1st Place: Healing Meals

·      2nd Place: Mental Health Connecticut, Inc.

Maine

·      1st Place: The Maine Behavioral Health Foundation

·      2nd Place: The Yellow Tulip Project

Massachusetts

·      1st Place: KyleCares Inc.

·      2nd Place: Mental Health Collaborative

New Hampshire

·      1st Place: Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

·      2nd Place: Touchstone Farm

Rhode Island

·      1st Place: FRIENDS WAY (Families Reaching Into Each New Day)

·      2nd Place: Boys & Girls Club of Northern Rhode Island - Woonsocket Clubhouse

Vermont

·      1st Place: Hannah's House

·      2nd Place: Camp Daybreak, Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery

About the Red Sox Foundation

The official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Red Sox Foundation has donated to over 1,900 organizations since its creation in 2002, and focused on making a difference in the lives of children, families, Veterans, and communities in need by improving their health, education, and recreational opportunities. Through partnerships with best-in-class organizations in healthcare, the Red Sox have helped raise over $150 million for cancer treatment and research for The Jimmy Fund, supported more than 24,000 Veterans and their families suffering from the “invisible wounds of war” with the Home Base Program, and helped the Dimock Center serve over 19,000 patients annually with health and human services. The Foundation’s self-run education and youth baseball programs have helped 313 Boston Public Schools students with college scholarships, and promotes healthy choices and valuable life skills to more than 2,000 urban youth annually through its RBI baseball and softball program. 

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Red Sox Foundation raises funds through special events, corporate sponsorships, and grants. Founded and initially funded by Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, President/CEO Emeritus Larry Lucchino and their partners, the Red Sox Foundation has won numerous awards for the impact of its innovative programs. In 2010, the Foundation’s Red Sox Scholars program was recognized by Major League Baseball with the first-ever “MLB Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence.” The Foundation won that same award in 2019 for the Home Base Program, the only MLB team to win the award twice. In 2009, the Red Sox Foundation was honored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Sports Philanthropy Project with the Patterson Award as the nation’s “Best Team Charity in Sports.” For more information about the foundation, visit redsoxfoundation.org.

About Ruderman Family Foundation

The Ruderman Family Foundation is an internationally recognized leader in advocating for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our society. The Foundation supports effective programs, innovative partnerships and a dynamic approach to philanthropy in advocating for and advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities, and destigmatizing mental health, throughout the U.S. and around the world.

The Ruderman Family Foundation believes that inclusion and understanding of all people is essential to a fair and flourishing community and imposes these values within its leadership and funding. For more information, please visit www.rudermanfoundation.org