Club teams up with City of Worcester;
J&J vaccines will be available, along with Pfizer vaccines for ages 12-17
WORCESTER, MA – After partnering with the City of Worcester to successfully administer 275 vaccines at Polar Park earlier this season, the Worcester Red Sox will again make more vaccines available for fans at Polar Park during six of their remaining home games this season—all of which are “Los Wepas de Worcester” dates, when the WooSox change their uniforms and identity to enhance outreach to the Latino and Hispanic communities.
The games are this coming Tuesday, July 27 at 6:35 pm vs. Buffalo, Sunday, August 1 at 1:05 pm vs. Buffalo, Friday, August 13 at 6:35 pm vs. Syracuse, Saturday, August 14 at 4:05 pm vs. Syracuse, Wednesday, August 18 at 6:35 pm vs. Scranton/WB, and Tuesday, September 7 at 6:35 pm vs. Lehigh Valley.
Anyone who wishes to receive a vaccine during these select home games will be given a complimentary General Admission ticket to that day’s game at the Ticket Office, along with a free WooSox cap, and they’ll be guided by a WooSox ambassador to the concourse at Polar Park where the vaccines will be administered by City of Worcester health officials. Fans who already have tickets to these games and would like a vaccine can simply check in with any WooSox staff member when gates open.
“Roughly 35% of Worcester’s Hispanic and Latino population have been fully vaccinated here in the city, and we must continue to do everything we can to get our community vaccinated,” said Dr. Matilde Castiel, Commissioner of Health & Human Services for the City of Worcester. “We are grateful that the WooSox continue to open their doors at Polar Park for members of our community, and we also look forward to providing a vaccine for anyone who still needs to get a vaccine.”
The WooSox and the City of Worcester will now be offering a Pfizer vaccine for anyone ages 12 and older. When vaccines were administered at Polar Park during the club’s first homestand in June, only a one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine was available for those 18 and older, and the WooSox and City of Worcester look forward to using the Pfizer vaccine to reach a broader age group.
“We’re not out of the woods yet and we’re keeping an eye on the case count and of course the Delta variant,” said Mayor Joseph M. Petty. “Our response has been a whole-of-government response and that means engaging with our non-profit and business community, like our partners at the Worcester Red Sox, to make sure that everyone in our community is getting vaccinated. I want to thank Larry Lucchino and Dr. Steinberg for joining us in our commitment to getting through this pandemic.”
“These clinics at Polar Park couldn’t come at a more important time,” City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. said. “Our battle with the COVID-19 virus is not over, and the surging Delta variant is leading to increased cases across the country and here in Worcester. We need to do everything in our power to vaccinate as many people as possible, and we are extremely grateful to have a partner like the Worcester Red Sox who are equally committed to that mission. Polar Park was always meant to be more than a ballpark, and this is a terrific way to offer people both an entertaining night out and a chance to get vaccinated and protect themselves, their loved ones and our community as we continue to fight our way through this pandemic.”
“We hope we can increase the number of fans who protect themselves and their loved ones from the coronavirus,” said WooSox President, Dr. Charles A. Steinberg. “We hope that our children and teens receive vaccinations before they return to school so that they can enjoy the full experience that so many missed in 2020.
“We are grateful for the partnership with the City of Worcester and its Department of Health and Human Services. These city officials have been heroic in their efforts to reach out and find those who can still benefit from this desperately-needed vaccine. We are happy to provide it when the community comes together for an evening or afternoon of baseball at Polar Park.”
On Tuesday, May 4 the Seattle Mariners became the first Major League Baseball 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 were proud to be among the first Minor League Baseball teams in the country to administer vaccines to their fans during games at Polar Park in the beginning of June.
¡Wepa! is a Spanish expression of excitement and happiness. The concept of naming the team after the popular phrase came from Worcester resident Daniel Velazquez at a WooSox Fan Plan Meeting on February 13, 2020 at Centro Inc. in Worcester.
UMass Memorial Health, the official healthcare provider of the Worcester Red Sox, will have paramedics on site as they do for every WooSox home game to offer any support needed.
For more information and further questions, please contact WooSox Vice President of Baseball Operations & Community Relations, Joe Bradlee ([email protected]).