WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon celebrates 10 years of progress in the fight against cancer

More than $3.3 million raised for cancer care and research at Dana-Farber

BOSTON –The 10th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon on Aug. 30 and 31 attracted supporters from all 50 states and around the world to help in the fight against cancer. More than $3.3 million was raised to fund adult and pediatric care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

“The support we have received during the past decade is just incredible. Every dollar contributed is critical to our mission to eradicate cancer. We are incredibly grateful to WEEI and NESN and their listeners and viewers and the Boston Red Sox and their fans for championing our cause and for bringing this radio-telethon to life,” said Suzanne Fountain, director of the Jimmy Fund.

The 36-hour Radio-Telethon broadcast on WEEI 850-AM Sports Radio Network and New England Sports Network (NESN) was broadcast live from Fenway Park and featured compelling patient stories, interviews with Dana-Farber researchers, doctors and staff, and calls and visits from celebrity guests and members of the Boston Red Sox.

The Radio-Telethon, which has become a summer tradition for the Jimmy Fund and the Red Sox, attracts well-known personalities and sports figures, including Glee’s Mike O’Malley, Boston Bruins Charlie Jacobs, Celtics’ Stephen Pagliuca, and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. Several Red Sox players also participated, including Tim Wakefield, Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, and Adrian Gonzalez. 



The Red Sox built on its 58-year relationship with the Jimmy Fund by holding on-field ceremonies before both games against the New York Yankees. Prior to the start of the game on Tuesday, professional golfer Keegan Bradley, who just won the PGA Championship, threw out the first pitch and former State Trooper Sgt. Daniel M. Clarke sang the national anthem.

During the pre-game ceremony prior to Wednesday’s game, the Boston Red Sox Jimmy Fund Award was presented to WEEI, NESN and WEEI VP of AM Programming for Entercom New England Jason Wolfe in recognition of the 10th year of the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon and their substantial commitment to the lifesaving mission of Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund.

Red Sox legends Mo Vaughn and John Valentin, who each formed special friendships with two Jimmy Fund Clinic pediatric patients and their families while playing for the Red Sox in the 1990s, were interviewed on WEEI before the game and threw out the first pitch.
“Hard to believe that it's been 10 years for this event and what a way to celebrate. I can't thank the WEEI listeners, the NESN viewers, and the entire community enough for their continued generosity over these two days. The millions raised to fund cancer research and care will help some of the most courageous people you'll ever meet,” said WEEI’s Wolfe.

"Once again, the outpouring of support during the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon has been remarkable," said Sean McGrail, NESN’s President and CEO. "The compelling stories shared by the Dana Farber's staff and patients continue to inspire all of us. We are honored to support the great people at the Jimmy Fund, as they continue to really make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors who are battling cancer."
   
For more information, go to www.jimmyfundradiotelethon.org. 

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Radio-Telethon history
The Jimmy Fund is celebrating 63 years this year. Back in 1948, members of the Boston Braves visited the hospital bedside of a 12-year-old boy with cancer, dubbed “Jimmy” to protect his identity. The visit was broadcast, nationally on radio and people gave generously to help children like him battling the disease. That broadcast, along with player appearances and radio appeals during Braves games, helped build a state-of-the-art hospital for cancer research and patient care.

When the Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, owner Lou Perini encouraged the new Red Sox owner Thomas Yawkey to continue the Braves’ work with the Jimmy Fund, as the charity had been named. On April 10, 1953, Yawkey announced that the Red Sox would adopt the Jimmy Fund as its official charity.
 
Today, the Jimmy Fund continues to be an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, and since 2002, the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon has raised more than $3.3 million to support adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute