Second Annual Swings for the Sox and Party in the Park raises $40,000 for Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Inc.

Brett Bodine, Lance Cook, Marshall Bower and Katie Haas

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Dec. 3, 2013) – More than 200 participants took part in the Red Sox Foundation’s Second Annual Swings for the Sox Golf Tournament and Party in the Park on Friday, Oct. 25. The one-day event raised $40,000 for the Red Sox Foundation to support the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Inc.

In addition to an 18-hole scramble at the Plantation Golf  & Country Club, participants enjoyed entry into JetBlue Park, lunch on the Green Monster provided by Rib City, batting practice swings on the field, tours of the facility and one-of-a-kind silent auction items and raffle prizes including weekend getaways, The Players Championship passes at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla., an opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a 2014 Red Sox Spring Training game and a meet-and-greet with Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester.

This year’s winning foursomes included Jason Grabowski, Jim Hehl, Paul Boudreaux and Crosby Boudreaux for the lowest gross score and Jon Romine, Brent Gibson, Brian Smith and Jason Tomassetti for the lowest net score.

“We are so thankful to all of our sponsors and participants who helped us double our funds from last year’s event to support our local public schools,” said Katie Haas, senior director of Florida business operations for the Boston Red Sox. “This golf tournament is just one of the ways the Red Sox Foundation supports Lee County nonprofits and community programs year round.”

Last year’s inaugural event raised funds for two local nonprofits, the Heights Foundation and the Children’s Home Society. Each received $10,000 from the tournament proceeds.

Presenting sponsors for this year’s event were Hertz Corporation, Marco Island Marriott and Florida Gulf Coast University. Other sponsors included WCI Communities, Lee Memorial Health System, CVS Caremark, Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, Manhattan Construction, Pool Pros, Merrill Lynch, First Watch Restaurants, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, Rib City, and Dr. Stephen and Barbara Calabro.

The Red Sox Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and the official team charity of the Boston Red Sox. The foundation’s primary focus locally is in serving the health, education, recreation and social service needs of children and families across Southwest Florida. The Red Sox Foundation is one of the most successful in all of Major League Baseball.

For more information, call 239-226-4783 or email jbpevents@redsox.com.