Fenway for Free

By Corinne Steinbrenner

Attending a Red Sox game at historic Fenway Park is a rite of passage for BU students, and many Terriers have discovered a way to enter the beloved ballpark without paying for a ticket. No, they’re not sneaking under the fence on Van Ness Street; they’re volunteering as members of the Red Sox Green Team.

Since the Red Sox launched a sustainability program in 2008, thousands of students from BU and other area universities have signed up to attend individual games as part of these 30- to 50-member teams.

Psychology major Erica Casacci (CAS’12), of Plantation, Florida, volunteered for a day on the Green Team during summer 2010 along with two of her Terrier softball teammates. “We thought it would be a fun way to enjoy watching the game live and interacting with people at the park,” she says. Casacci and her Green Team compatriots were able to watch most of the Red Sox game that day, collecting recyclables primarily during breaks between innings when they were less likely to disrupt paying fans’ enjoyment of the game. “At first we were kind of nervous to go up to people and ask for their recyclables,” she says, “but we warmed up, and it ended up being a lot of fun.”

Casacci had attended games at Fenway before, she says, but “this was a different experience. You usually just go in and sit in your seat, but we got to experience the game in all different areas of the park and from all different angles.” And they got to help the Red Sox make their famously green park even greener.

In years past, the Dean of Students Office has coordinated the student volunteers for the Red Sox, but Sox staff took over that task this summer. Students wishing to volunteer for future games should send their name, email address, phone number, and the games for which they would like to volunteer to greenteam@redsox.com three days prior to game day. ■