MLB hands out the Roberto Clemente Award to a player who is exemplary in his off-the-field contributions. There are nominees from each team, and the Sox' representative is no surprise: Jon Lester. Here's their blurb on his accomplishments:
Upon reaching the five-year cancer-free benchmark, Jon Lester launched NVRQT, short for "never quit." NVRQT supports kids in their battle against pediatric cancer and the researchers working to find a cure.
Jon serves as the spokesperson for the initiative and hosted patients from the Seattle Children's Hospital at Safeco Field in June. Jon also hosted NVRQT Day at Fenway in July, and patients from Boston Children's Hospital and the Jimmy Fund were invited to participate.
In early September, Jon hosted a NVRQT baseball clinic for cancer patients and their siblings, and in late September, Jon and his wife Farrah will host NVRQT Night at the House of Blues Boston.
During the season, Jon visited the Holland Elementary School in Dorchester, Massachusetts to read to students. He also meets with Make-A-Wish children and Jimmy Fund patients during their trips to Fenway Park, Fort Myers and Chicago.
In the past, Jon has served as a spokesman for the Jimmy Fund's Rally Against Cancer and visited the top fund-raising school and company as part of the program.
Jon also will be purchasing back to school supplies for a new charter school in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Lester's been significantly more visible this year. He bore the brunt of last year's criticism for the Sox' performance in September, being open to interviews to try to put the matter behind the team. He's had more advertisements (he likes to take the wife and the little man out to dinner in Ford truck, if you hadn't noticed). He's one of the more active Sox on Twitter.
And now he's thrown himself behind his NVRQT charity work, which seems to have gotten a lot of traction.
If you'd like to vote for Lester for the Clemente award, go here. For more on NVRQT's efforts against pediatric cancer, check them out here.
