Carolina Martinez And Husband, Former Sox Ace Pedro Martinez, Help Kids At Bat And In Class In The Dominican Republic

As the Red Sox and Dodgers go at it again in the World Series at Fenway Park Wednesday night, countless boys and young men in the Dominican Republic will be watching with dreams of playing in the majors.

Baseball is king in the DR. Local sons Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez have done the Red Sox proud in the playoffs so far.

In reality, many kids in the Dominican Republic dream big but face basic challenges: they need shelter, food, medicine, and a well-rounded education.

Former Sox pitching ace Pedro Martinez and his wife Carolina are from the Dominican Republic, and they're trying to change the fortunes of kids there. Two decades ago, Carolina was a recipient of funds from the Pedro Martinez Charity. That enabled her to go to Boston College, where she played Division 1 volleyball; and it's how she met her husband.

Now she runs the charity, renamed the Pedro Martinez Foundation. She told WBUR's All Things Considered host Lisa Mullins that she and her husband are striving to give kids holistic care and education at a charter school the foundation is building and at the community center it runs. Hear their conversation above.

Disclosure: WBUR is a media sponsor of the Pedro Martinez Foundation's 3rd Annual Gala Supporting At-Risk Youth.