Press Releases: 2002 Releases

The Boston Red Sox and UCP Honor American Heroes at the First Disability Awareness Night at Fenway Park

(Fenway Park) Boston, MA, August 15, 2002– On August 20, 2002, The Boston Red Sox, UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) and Exceptional Parent (EP), will host Disability Awareness Night at Fenway Park. This event, the first of its kind at storied Fenway Park pays special tribute to the 54 million Americans with disabilities and their families, with special recognition that one in 12 American children has a disability.

Massachusetts State Senator Fred Berry, Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, and Bob Hall, pioneer of the wheelchair competition in the Boston Marathon, will receive The Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Awards during pre-game ceremonies. The awards are in memory of EP's founder and former Editor-in-chief, Max Schleifer, PhD, who passed away in July 2000.

Massachusetts State Senator Fred Berry will receive recognition for his tireless efforts on behalf of all those with special needs, particularly those with mental retardation, learning disabilities and profound movement disorders.

Boston Red Sox Pitcher Tim Wakefield is being recognized for his commitment to children with special needs in the Boston community as well as in the community where he makes his home in Melbourne, Florida. Tim spends an extraordinary amount of time in the off-season volunteering at the local Space Coast Early Intervention Program.

The third recipient of the Maxwell Schleifer Distinguished Service Award is Bob Hall, the founder of the wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon. Bob also manufactures customized athletic wheelchairs and has been a great asset to the disability community.

Based in River Edge, NJ, 31-year-old EP is a fully integrated communications company providing information for families and professionals involved in the care and development of people with disabilities and special healthcare needs. EP uses a multi-media approach to disseminate information via: its publication, Exceptional Parent; Web site; custom communications projects; the EP Library of disability books; seminars developed through the EP Foundation for Education, a 501(C)3 company. Exceptional Parent Magazine has received many prestigious awards, including the 2000 and 2001 Folio Gold Medal Awards for editorial excellence.

As the premiere disability charity in America founded in 1949, UCP has been committed to advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities for more than 50 years. Through a nationwide network of 110 affiliates in 39 states, including UCP of Metro Boston, UCP serves more than one million Americans with disabilities and their families to lead independent lives.

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