There are countless stories of Babe Ruth’s charitable gestures and activities. Over the years, we’ve heard many personal recollections of the Babe and his positive influence, whether it be his appearances at orphanages and hospitals, the long hours spent signing autographs, or the numerous donations he made to friends, as well as perfect strangers. In addition, he also regularly offered up his time, batting skills and ability to draw large, adoring crowds to support many charitable causes.
We recently stumbled upon a story of an Everett, Massachusetts family who’s patriarch passed away in an explosion at the Beacon Oil Refinery back in February, 1928. Everett Mayor James Roche and Boston Red Sox manager, Bill Carrigan, arranged a charity ball game for the families affected by the disaster. Considering Babe Ruth’s continued popularity with the Red Sox, Carrigan invited his former player to come and play. Babe agreed and brought along teammate Lou Gehrig. Ruth and Gehrig teamed up with members of a minor league team from Everett and played against an assortment of Red Sox rookies. The game took place in August 1928 in Glendale Park, Everett. It raised $10,000. The matriarch of the family received $1,000 and took her kids back to her original home back on Prince Edward Island in Canada, where she bought a farm to raise her family on. The family credited Babe Ruth with helping her to keep her family together during hard times. They said that it was the money from the Babe Ruth charity ball game as well as the small pension she got from Beacon Oil that helped them get through.
We never get tired of hearing or finding stories such as these about the Babe. If you have a positive story to tell about the Babe, don’t hesitate to share!
