IL Worcester Red Sox

WooSox Foundation Table Is the Heart of this Worcester Resident's Memorabilia Collection

August 9, 2023 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


By frequently visiting the WooSox Foundation table at Polar Park, Worcester resident and WooSox Season Ticket Member Judi Kirk has accumulated a considerable collection of Worcester Red Sox merchandise and memorabilia.

A Season Ticket Member since Polar Park opened its doors in 2021, Kirk said her seat is located near the Foundation table on the third base side of the concourse. She said she knew many of the WooSox Foundation interns from various community engagements, which was how she learned about the silent auction and the items available to win at the table.

In regard to her collection, Kirk said she has mostly been acquiring jerseys and has "maybe 15 of them at this point."

"I enjoy the competition of the bidding, and I have all the shirts displayed," she said. "I have a room of WooSox and Red Sox paraphernalia. That's my home office, so I spend a lot of time in my room with all my gear. The other thing I have is a number of balls, and I loved it last year when the giveaways at the park were bobbleheads. I've got a whole shelf of those."

Although it was not obtained from the Foundation table, Kirk said her favorite piece of WooSox memorabilia is a jersey signed by WooSox players last season.

"At the end of the season last year, they did the walk around the field and meet the players and stuff like that," she said. "I took one of my jerseys, a white jersey, out to the field and had everybody sign it. That's my prized possession right now."

Having lived in Worcester for around 30 years, Kirk said her entire life changed when the WooSox moved to Worcester. Along with financial benefits for Worcester homeowners, she said her neighborhood feels more "walkable" and "livable" since the WooSox' arrival in the city.

"Just having the [WooSox] presence here in the neighborhood, it feels lighter or happier," Kirk said. "I spend a lot of time at the games, and those of us that split my tickets, we talk all the time about how much happier people seem in Worcester."

According to WooSox Foundation Program Coordinator Simi Stark, Kirk has become a "good friend" and a "bright light" to the Foundation.

"I've grown really close with [Kirk] as she comes to the Foundation table pretty much every single game that she's there," Stark said. "She always talks to all of us and always ends up bidding on our auction items because she is a huge WooSox fan and loves the Foundation so much. It's definitely cool to get to know her through that."

Outside Polar Park, Kirk dedicates her time to community work and nonprofit organizations, currently facilitating YouthConnect Worcester. The WooSox are honoring Kirk's commitment to the community by recognizing her as the Hometown Hero She said one of the aspects of the WooSox that she enjoys the most is its dedication to youth programs and what it has done for children in the area.

"Being there at the park, you see a lot of kids," Kirk said. "There's kids that sit around you in the seats, and watching their love of baseball grow, and that community feel that they're getting every time they come to the park. It's been a big boost for what we have available for fun here in Worcester."

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International League Stories from August 9, 2023


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