WooSox to offer vaccines for fans during first June homestand

Club teams up with Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center; 50 J&J vaccines will be available at every game this week at Polar Park.

WORCESTER, MA – After successfully administering 214 vaccines at Polar Park on Tuesday, May 25, the WooSox today announced they will make vaccines available for fans at Polar Park during the club’s second homestand, their first without COVID-19 capacity restrictions. The program is in partnership with Worcester’s Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center.

“We are proud to be among the first Triple-A teams in the country to offer vaccines for fans during our ballgames,” said WooSox President, Dr. Charles A. Steinberg. “We look forward to continuing to do our part to inspire more people to become vaccinated in the City of Worcester and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Fans who receive a Johnson & Johnson vaccine at Polar Park will be given a complimentary General Admission ticket to that day’s game, along with a WooSox cap, and must be at least 18 years of age. Staff from the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center will administer the vaccines on the first base concourse at Polar Park on a first-come, first-served basis.

“The City of Worcester has made great strides in getting as many people as possible vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus,” Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. said. “This partnership between the Worcester Red Sox and the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center is another terrific example of the collaborative efforts that have helped to ensure that every single resident has the opportunity to get vaccinated. This is the team spirit that Worcester is all about.”

On Tuesday, May 4 the Seattle Mariners became the first Major League team in the country to offer vaccines for their fans during games at T-Mobile Park, and successfully administered 160 shots during their game against the Baltimore Orioles. The WooSox would join the Columbus Clippers among Triple-A clubs administering vaccines to their fans during games.

UMass Memorial Health, the official healthcare provider of the Worcester Red Sox, will have EMTs on site as they do for every WooSox home game to offer any support needed.

Anyone who wishes to be vaccinated at Polar Park will be escorted to the first base concourse by a WooSox Ambassador upon receiving their complimentary General Admission ticket at the Ticket Office. Fans who already have tickets to this week’s slate of games and would like a vaccine can simply check in with the Kennedy Health Center staff members after the gates open. Those who do will receive a General Admission ticket to a future 2021 home game.

“We are pleased to be able to expand our reach beyond our health center doors to help ensure that anyone who wants the COVID-19 vaccine can get it safely, easily and for free,” said

Kennedy Community Health President and CEO Stephen J. Kerrigan. “Working in partnership with area organizations like Polar Park and the WooSox will boost our efforts to make the vaccine readily available.”

Vaccines will be available at Polar Park through Sunday, June 6 for the club’s entire six-game homestand against the Rochester Red Wings, and will explore the possibility of making more vaccines available at more games this summer.

For more information and further questions, please contact WooSox Vice President of Baseball Operations & Community Relations, Joe Bradlee or the Kennedy Health Center’s Vice President of Advancement, Paula Green.