A loud applause in a typically quiet Worcester Public Library as the Worcester Red Sox announce The WooSox Foundation. It aims to support people and charitable efforts.

Worcester Red Sox Owner and Chairman Larry Lucchino, "Oh, it was a very exciting day because It merges so many of my passions; the WooSox and baseball of course, but also the library and public school education."

The foundation will first focus on education. It's donating $25,000 to the Worcester Public Library. The team is also launching the WooSox Program. It will give $40,000 annually in college scholarships. Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Maureen Binienda says the foundation will benefit for years to come.

Superintendent Binienda is excited to work with Worcester's newest team, "When we heard that the WooSox were coming, we were thinking "Wow what partnership can we do with them?" But we had no idea it would be this quickly or this great so we are very thankful." ​

Worcester City Manager Ed Augustus agrees, "Kids each year are going to get scholarships which are going to incent them to stay working hard in school and stay in school."

The foundation will feature WooSox Mentors, where members of the team work with students of all ages.

Binienda says having a mentor can teach students lessons which go beyond the classroom. "I like the mentoring of the WooSox players, talking to the students about their lives and telling them to keep going like in a tough game."

Dr. Charles Steinberg, Worcester Red Sox President, "When you put a group of bright students together in a warm and embracing, harmonious environment, no telling what they can come up with."

The foundation will also donate baseball themed books to the library. The first recipients of the WooSox Foundation scholarships will be announced at Polar Park in the spring of 2021.