The baseball season is heating up, and One Southcoast Chamber and the Robert F. Stoico/First Fed Charitable Foundation are doing their best to make this time of the year a little more exciting.
Former Red Sox centerfielder Johnny Damon visits the Southcoast on May 20 as the guest of honor at the Celebrity Scholarship Dinner at the Venus De Milo in Swansea. The Chamber's Katie Greene stopped by Townsquare Sunday this week to give us details.
Damon of course, was a member of the loveable "Idiots" who broke an 86-year old "curse" by winning four straight against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, and then sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. Damon also won a World Championship with the Yankees in 2009.
"For 20 years, from 2000 to 2020, this event was run by the UMass Dartmouth Center for Marketing and Research," Greene said. "After the Center shut down during COVID, the Chamber reached out to Professor Nora Barnes, who had organized the Celebrity Dinner for many years. She gave us the green light to revive the event, and shared with us all her institutional knowledge, including contacts."
In addition to Johnny Damon's appearance on May 20, Greene said the Chamber and the Stoico/First Fed Foundation will award a dozen scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are planning to attend college, and current college students who are already attending classes.
One of the scholarships will honor former Chamber President Rick Kidder, who led the New Bedford Chamber before retiring in 2023.
Greene said Damon's presentation will include a one-on-one discussion with Chamber CEO Mike O' Sullivan, plus a meet-and-greet with fans, autograph signings, dinner, silent auction and more.
"Anybody who has bought a ticket will have the opportunity to meet Johnny, take a picture with him or get his autograph," Greene said. Tickets can be purchased at onesouthcoast.com/celebritydinner. Greene said there is a flash sale going on right now: you can save $50 per ticket now through May 9 by using the code word "CELEBRITY" at checkout.
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Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg
Gallery Credit: Barry Richard
