NewsDixon is Boston's 'All-Star Among Us'
Brockton, Mass., resident involved in youth initiativesBy Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
06/29/09 6:21 PM ET
After thousands of nominees from across the United States and Canada were narrowed to 90 finalists, Major League Baseball and PEOPLE have announced the 30 winners of the "All-Stars Among Us" campaign, which spotlights people who have gone above and beyond to serve their communities. The Boston Red Sox "All-Star" is Rob Dixon of Brockton, Mass., who was chosen by fans across the nation for engaging young people around the world in initiatives ranging from increasing access to education to fighting poverty. Dixon works to transform at-risk youth into serious students. He founded the nonprofit Project RISE to give those children the skills and motivation to succeed. Many at Project RISE are referred by probation officers. Amazingly, 90 percent of participants graduate from high school and 146 students have attended college. Dixon and the rest of the winners will be honored during the pregame ceremony at the 2009 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis on July 14 on FOX, at which President Barack Obama will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. One club representative also will be featured in People Magazine. Nearly three quarters of a million votes were cast by fans across the nation in the All-Stars Among Us campaign to select the 30 "All-Stars Among Us" winners -- one per Major League team -- out of the pool of 90 finalists who are serving as leaders within their communities. The other finalists for the Red Sox were: • Stan Curtis: The resident of Prospect, Ky., is the founder of USA Harvest and Blessings in a Backpack, designed to help meet the nutritional needs of children and families in need. Through these organizations, he has collected billions of pounds of food to feed hungry people across America. • Bob "Doc" Adams: The Winfield, Ill., resident has done much to improve the lives of military veterans in metropolitan Chicago, having co-founded the non-profit Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in 2002. He serves without salary as the shelter's clinical director. Meanwhile, vote for your favorite players with the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot at MLB.com and all 30 sites.The 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage.
Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
