Atlanta Boston Red Sox Meetup Group, this just came to my attention! Unfortunately my plans are already made for next week, but some of you have more flexible schedules than I do, maybe you can get to this game, I'm calling the contact for the event below, Donlan and Greenbaum's New York Prime will donate 2x$50.00 gift certificates to the silent auction! Bobby Donlan RSN Governor Georgia

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - Atlanta Falcons and former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, former Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and former Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown will all be on hand for first pitches at Coolray Field on Tuesday, May 7 as the Gwinnett Braves host "Boston Strong Night."

That evening, the Gwinnett Braves host the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the Pawtucket Red Sox, for a 6:05 PM game.  For every ticket sold via the online link gwinnettbraves.com/boston using the promo code STRONG, $5 will be donated to OneFundBoston.org, benefitting the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy.

The entire game against Pawtucket will be a tribute to the city of Boston.  Each Gwinnett Braves player will switch their walk-up songs for the evening to a Boston band, including Boston, Aerosmith, Dropkick Murphys, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and others.  Video board elements, in-game entertainment and even select concession items will all be designed to make Coolray Field feel like an extension of Fenway Park for the night.

More events, including details on a silent auction will be announced closer to the date.  For more information on the event, contact Dave Lezotte at (678)[masked].

About the Boston celebrities:

Matt Ryan, selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, played quarterback at Boston College from 2005 to 2007.  He led the Eagles to a 25-7 record in his 32 starts, an ACC Atlantic Division championship in 2007 and bowl game victories in all three of his seasons under center.  Ryan is now a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the NFL's top quarterbacks.

Jason Varitek played all 15 of his Major League seasons with the Boston Red Sox, from 1997 until his retirement in 2011.  He was appointed to be just the third captain in franchise history in 2004 and was behind the plate for Boston's historic World Series Championships in both 2004 and 2007.  The Boston fan favorite is now a special assistant to Red Sox' General Manager Ben Cherington.

Rodney Harrison was the hard-hitting anchor of the New England secondary from 2003 to 2008 and was an All-Pro safety in both 2003 and 2004.  He led the team to three AFC Championships and back-to-back Super Bowl victories, coming in 2003 (Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, TX) and 2004 (Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, FL).  Since retirement, he is now an analyst for NBC Sports' Football Night in America.

Dee Brown was the first-round pick of the Boston Celtics in 1990 and went on to play eight seasons with the team until 1998.  In 1991, he was both an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection as well as the NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner.  Brown retired from the NBA in 2002 and has since served as a head coach in the WNBA and NBA D-League.  He is currently an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons.

The G-Braves' next home game is on Thursday, May 2 at 6:05 PM against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  Tickets for all Gwinnett Braves home games are on sale now at the Coolray Field Box Office.  Call (678)[masked] or visit gwinnettbraves.com for more information.