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IL Worcester Red Sox

WooSox Welcome over 270 Worcester Public School Students to Polar Park for the First Ever "Wicked Bookworms" Reading Program

May 4, 2024 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


From Tuesday, April 16 to Sunday, April 21, the Worcester Red Sox welcomed over 270 elementary and middle school students from 10 different schools around Worcester to Polar Park to honor their accomplishments of reading three books in one month. The "Wicked Bookworms" program, named after the WooSox initial team name idea, the Wicked Worms of Worcester, challenged students to read three books in one month to encourage a love for reading among the young students in Worcester.

Participating students received an unforgettable experience at the ballpark, cultivating a strong sense of community engagement by bringing together school, families, and the WooSox organization.

The WooSox launched the Wicked Bookworms program with the goal of making reading fun for kids while encouraging their hard work in school and rewarding them for it. The idea for the Wicked Bookworms program came about this past fall with the goal of reaching out to as many schools outside of Worcester as possible in order to expand their reach beyond the city. The WooSox already grant free tickets to schools in Worcester, so this was an opportunity to give other students around the community a chance to come to a game.

Along with the ticket sales team, WooSox Director of Ticket Sales Ryan Nesbit started the program with outreach to elementary and middle schools all around Worcester county. Nesbit and his team saw much interest in the program from many different schools and a lot of excitement from schools participating in the program.

Once the WooSox had 10 schools on board to participate, representatives visited the schools to distribute over 5,000 free ticket vouchers to grant kids who completed the reading challenge the chance to interact with many different students. This generated much excitement and anticipation among students at all 10 schools, with Smiley Ball appearing at Whitin Intermediate School, North Street Elementary, and Shaw Elementary.

During the schools' April Vacation Week, a total of 272 students attended WooSox games and were honored on the field. Pregame ceremonies saw the students introducing themselves and their schools and receiving WooSox school kits as they exited the field to enjoy the game.

Nesbit shared his enthusiasm about the success of the program, noting the impact of having young fans at the ballpark.

"It was really cool to see the excitement of kids dancing and talk to the kids waiting to get down to the field," he said. "It was so nice to see everyone so excited, and we're definitely looking to expand even bigger, reach out to schools earlier, and grow this program to new heights."

The WooSox envision a continued partnership with local schools outside of Worcester to make an even greater impact on education in the community. Nesbit highlighted the importance of making reading competitive enjoyable for kids, reiterating the WooSox' commitment to their educational initiatives.

For more information about the Wicked Bookworms program or to express interest in future collaborations, schools are encouraged to contact [email protected].

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