Press Releases

Holiday Caravan makes final stop                     

Three-day trip puts smiles on faces of many sick children 

By Alex McPhillips / MLB.com

BOSTON -- Bryan Corey, a 35-year-old right-hander who pitched 9 1/3 innings for the World Series winners in 2007, had a hankering for more activity on Wednesday.
"I wish it was still going," said Corey, moments after visiting Boston's Franciscan Hospital for Children, where scores of patients had filed through to meet him. "I really do. I wish there were more kids left."

Nevertheless, the third and final day of the Red Sox's 2007 Holiday Caravan came to a happy conclusion. Corey and teammates Julian Tavarez and Brandon Moss spent nearly an hour meeting with kids at Franciscan, signing autographs and posing for pictures.

"It's fantastic," said Steven Snyder, the hospital's chief development officer. "I think we had at least 300 kids come and see these guys today, and every one of them was so excited, and left with a great smile on their face. For [the Red Sox] to take the time to do this is just ... It's a great day for these kids."

As they did on previous Caravan stops, the Red Sox brought another special visitor: the sterling silver and gold-plated Commissioner's Trophy, which they took home after winning the Fall Classic.

"Some people," Snyder said, referring to patients, patients' parents, and hospital staff, "were Red Sox fans who were moved to tears when they saw the trophy. Including myself."

Wednesday's visit concluded a tour that included trips to the Jimmy Fund, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Children's Hospital Boston, the Shriners Burns Hospital, and the Dorchester Neighborhood Service Center. Corey, who has played parts of four seasons in the Majors, had never before participated in such a delegation.

For Corey, the father of four-year-old Emily, the experience was eye-opening.

"It hits so close to home," Corey said. "You take for granted that your kids are healthy sometimes. You know, everyday life, you go about your life as it is. To know what these doctors and nurses and all of them do to help out ... it's unbelievable to me, everything that they do."

"It puts things in perspective in a big way," he said.