fter
visiting Children’s in January, Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek
decided he wanted to lift the spirits of the hospital’s patients.
So he and his wife Karen started a program to give them the experience
of a lifetime. They named it “Tek’s 33s” (Varitek's
uniform number), decided they would visit the hospital regularly over
the summer, and donated 20 tickets to each of five home games to patients
and family members. June 8 and 9 were the first two games for Tek’s
33s and were a smashing success. The Sox backstop gave each child a
red Varitek t-shirt, invited them onto the field to watch batting practice
and spent time talking with the young fans, taking photos and signing
autographs. “This is such a great day!” said one patient.
