Boston, MA – July 16, 2014 – The Boston Red Sox Foundation today announced a truly out of this world collaborative partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the manager of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. As part of an initial Partnership with the Red Sox Foundation, CASIS will add its support of the ongoing World Series Ring Raffle by adding a once-in-a-lifetime, VIP trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. The winner and three guests will receive a private tour of ISS Mission Control and the Astronaut Training Facility, as well as four passes to Space Center Houston and an authentic CASIS Mission Patch that has orbited the Earth. Airfare and hotel accommodations are also included.

This prize package will be available to those who enter the promotional code “CASIS” upon ordering their raffle tickets. These tickets are just $2 each, with a minimum of five tickets purchased, and can be found by visiting www.redsox.com/ringraffle. All proceeds from the Ring Raffle will go toward the Red Sox Foundation’s ongoing commitment to youth in our communities.

The Red Sox Foundation and CASIS are also partnered on an endeavor to generate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) opportunities for its younger fans.

“To be able to partner with CASIS and the ISS is really a thrill,” said Gena Borson, Executive Director of Special Events at the Red Sox Foundation. “And not just for this amazing offer, but so that we can look together at how we may further develop programs focusing on STEM education.”

“We are excited to support the Red Sox Foundation as its dedication to educating the youth in its community is not only commendable but synergistic with our mission of providing unique educational opportunities,” said Duane Ratliff, Chief Operating Officer of CASIS. “One of CASIS’s goals is to support research on the ISS targeted toward improving life and health on earth. In addition, we have the cherished responsibility to use the ISS as the ideal platform for teaching science, technology, engineering and math to the next generation of researchers and leaders.”

Cleon Daskalakis, President of Celebrity Marketing, Inc. and Cofounder of the Celebrities for Charity Foundation, the provider of the online charitable raffle program netRaffle.org, added, “We are excited to have brought CASIS and the Red Sox Foundation together to both provide this unique promotion opportunity for fans to explore Mission Control but also for the future opportunities of providing STEM education with sports as a backdrop. “