Pedro Martinez desires college students to grasp that he used to “sit on the same chair” as them, studying from his academics and fogeys, earlier than turning into a Red Sox legend.
“I understood the values of respecting education and trying to learn and be the best you possibly could be. I want you guys to look at me as a sign of hope for whatever you want to do,” the Hall-of-Famer advised a packed cafeteria stuffed with excited college students Friday morning at South Boston’s James F. Condon School.
Martinez and his spouse, Carolina, are persevering with their ardour for schooling and giving again to the group via the Pedro Martinez Foundation by launching a sports activities mentoring initiative for younger athletes in Boston and Lawrence.
The initiative will embody mentorship periods with “major” athletes from throughout New England, Carolina Martinez mentioned. Those periods will function private coaching and entry to instructional occasions and assets all year long. The basis additionally will look to take part in occasions, corresponding to back-to-school provide drives, Carolina mentioned.
“We want to encourage you guys to continue doing good in school, to continue doing good in sports, to continue to listen to your teachers, to your parents,” she advised the 100-plus college students, donning Red Sox caps they acquired from the inspiration.
The Pedro Martinez Foundation has been a group stalwart, each in Boston and in Martinez’ native Dominican Republic.
Last yr, the group served greater than 119,000 kids ages 3 to 18 in schooling lessons, well being and sports activities packages, mentoring and counseling, and extra, in response to the inspiration’s annual report. Pedro mentored college students at East Boston High School and spoke at Lawrence High School’s commencement ceremony.
“Like I always say, I am a Bostonian,” Pedro advised the media after Friday’s high-energy occasion. “I believe everyone out here is important to me. For these students, for these kids that need role models and need someone to look up to, I’m more than happy to be one of those guys.”
Ten runners will likely be representing the inspiration in Monday’s Boston Marathon. Pedro and Carolina will likely be internet hosting a brunch Sunday on the Colonnade Hotel for the members who raised funds earmarked for the brand new sports activities mentoring initiative.
Seven runners who ran for the inspiration final yr raised greater than $75,000.
Pedro mentioned he’s feeling combined feelings in regards to the 10-year anniversary of the 2013 marathon bombings. He highlighted his former teammate David Ortiz’s well-known rally name the day after bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was caught in Watertown, “This is our (expletive) city. And nobody is going to dictate our freedom.”
“I’m extremely happy to remember the words that David used to inspire Boston, to tell everybody that Boston was a city that was going to be able to bounce back – that’s exactly what we did,” Pedro mentioned. “The other sad part is I don’t want to see that kind of sh** anymore.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com