Western Massachusetts Children with Disabilities Take Part in CVS Caremark All Kids Can™ Baseball Camp at Fenway Park
Woonsocket, R.I. (July 12, 2008) – Little League “Challenger” Players from western Mass. hit it out of the park today at a CVS Caremark All Kids Can Baseball Camp at Fenway Park. The baseball camp is the result of a team endeavor by CVS Caremark and the Boston Red Sox to provide New England children with disabilities a dream-fulfilling opportunity to play ball at Fenway Park and get batting tips from Red Sox Batting Coach Dave Magadan. The camps are part of the signature CVS Caremark All Kids Can program, which focuses on helping children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life. The team that participated in today’s camp – the Sunshine Challenger Eagles Little League – includes players aged 9 to 22 from Chicopee, Ludlow, Springfield and Granby.
The CVS Caremark All Kids Can Baseball Camps include batting practice in the Red Sox batting cage with Red Sox Batting Coach Dave Magadan; on-field batting practice with Magadan; a photo opportunity and lunch in the Red Sox dugout; a visit from Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster; a VIP tour of Fenway Park; early entry to the Red Sox batting practice; and tickets to the game in the CVS/pharmacy Family Section.
“We’re pleased to host our fourth season of giving New England children with disabilities a once in a lifetime experience at Fenway Park,” said Eileen Howard Dunn, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations for CVS Caremark Corporation.
Kathy Dupuis, coach of the Sunshine Challenger Eagles Little League said, “I had such joy in telling the kids about this opportunity. Everyone was elated – the kids, their parents, my assistant coaches and our team sponsor -- Sunshine Village. To be able to have the children experience something like this is amazing. We are tremendously grateful to CVS and the Red Sox for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to play ball at Fenway, pick up hitting tips from the Red Sox batting coach, spend time in the Red Sox dugout and cap off the day with a tour of the park and a Red Sox game.”
This is the fifth of seven CVS Caremark All Kids Can Baseball Camps that will run this season through August 13. In planning the camps, CVS Caremark reached out to coaches of Little League Challenger Teams, Miracle League teams and inclusive baseball teams in the New England area to apply for an opportunity to attend one of the camps. The camps are part of a continued, 6-year partnership between CVS Caremark and the Boston Red Sox, demonstrating their shared commitment to local children with disabilities.
About the Sunshine Challenger Eagles Little League
The Sunshine Challenger Eagles Little League was established 15 years ago and is affiliated with the Little League Challenger Division, which provides opportunities for children with physical and/or developmental disabilities to participate in an organized baseball league. The team receives financial and administrative support from Sunshine Village in Chicopee – an agency that improves the lives of people with developmental disabilities by providing employment and day habilitation services for over 360 people daily.
About CVS Caremark All Kids Can
CVS Caremark All Kids Can™, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and supported by CVS Caremark, is a 5-year, $25 million commitment to making life easier for children with disabilities. Through this signature program, CVS Caremark and the Trust will support nonprofit organizations that provide innovative programs and services in local communities focused on helping children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life.