WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon raises more than $3.3 million for cancer care and research at Dana-Farber

Event tops $30 million mark in 11th year

BOSTON – The 11th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon on August 21 and 22 raised more than $3.3 million to support adult and pediatric care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Contributions came in from all 50 states and around the world to help in the fight against cancer. The event has raised more than $31 million total since its inception in 2002.
 
“We are so grateful for the generous support we’ve received again this year from the community. All of the money contributed during the past two days will be critical in the fight against cancer and we are humbled by this outpouring of kindness,” said Suzanne Fountain, Director of the Jimmy Fund. “We are incredibly grateful to WEEI and NESN and the Boston Red Sox for standing with us each year and for sharing this event with so many of their listeners, viewers and fans in New England and across the country.”
 
The 36-hour Radio-Telethon broadcast on WEEI 93.7 FM/850 AM Sports Radio Network and New England Sports Network (NESN) live from Fenway Park has become another summer tradition for the Jimmy Fund and the Red Sox. The event featured compelling interviews with Dana-Farber patients, researchers, doctors and staff and video vignettes. Several Red Sox players made on-air appearances, including Dustin Pedroia, Clay Buchholz, Adrian Gonzalez, and Jimmy Fund Co-Captain Jarrod Saltalamacchia. On Wednesday, the entire Red Sox team dropped in to show their support for the Jimmy Fund and to meet with some patients. http://www.jimmyfund.org/eve/event/redsox-radio-telethon/default.html
 
The Red Sox named August Jimmy Fund month at Fenway Park, and the team continued to celebrate its 59-year relationship with the Jimmy Fund by holding on-field ceremonies before both games against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Prior to the start of the game on Tuesday, the Red Sox remembered Johnny Pesky, the beloved, former Red Sox player and a major Jimmy Fund supporter, who died at age 93 on August 13. Singers Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., of the 5th Dimension, sang the national anthem and a musical tribute to Pesky.
 
During the pre-game ceremony for Wednesday’s game, the first pitch was thrown out by Janet Schwartz and Melvin Perlmutter, the mother and grandfather of Todd Schwartz, a Jimmy Fund Clinic patient who passed away in 2002 at the age of 19.
 
“Each year the Radio-Telethon brings us stories of incredible courage and ground-breaking research that continue to show us why the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber are so special and this year was no exception,” said Jason Wolfe, Vice President of Programming at WEEI. “These two days were as emotional as any we've experienced and we are so proud to have been a part of another huge success that will provide the necessary funds to bring new and better treatments to so many who need it.”
 
“We continue to be inspired by the stories shared during the Radio-Telethon by the patients, families, nurses and doctors who have touched us all in a very special way,” said Sean McGrail, NESN President and CEO. “The overwhelming donations will provide Dana-Farber Cancer Institute the additional resources necessary to research and develop a cure for so many in need.”
 
A sampling of the major donors to the 2012 WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon includes:
 
AT&T $54,000
Charlie Jacobs Principal and Alternate Governor, Boston Bruins $25,000
Tim Wakefield $10,000
Steve Pagliuca, Co-Owner Boston Celtics $10,000
Bud Selig, Commissioner Major League Baseball $59,000
Papa Gino's Pizzeria and D'Angelo $250,000
Ira Motor Group $40,000
Pat Muraca and Nuclea Biotechnologies $100,000
Shaws Supermarkets $25,000
Arbella Insurance $50,000
Spartan Race $35,000
Sullivan Tire $20,000
Digital Federal Credit Union $25,000
 
It is not too late to make a gift - donors can still call 1-877-738-1234 or visit www.jimmyfundradiotelethon.org to support the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon. 
 
Radio-Telethon history
The Jimmy Fund founded in 1948 when 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 $30 million to support adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
 
About Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM), led by President and CEO David Field, is one of the five largest radio broadcasting companies in the United States, with a nationwide portfolio of 111 stations in 23 markets, including San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Sacramento and Kansas City.
Known for developing unique and highly successful locally programmed stations, Entercom is home to some of radio's most distinguished brands and compelling personalities. The company is also the radio broadcast partner of the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, Kansas City Royals, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Athletics and San Jose Sharks.

Entercom focuses on creating effective integrated marketing solutions for its customers that incorporate the company's audio, digital and experiential assets. Additionally, the company has a long-standing commitment to responsible corporate citizenship and environmental stewardship. Entercom stations play a vital, hands-on role in improving their communities, providing over $100 million in annual support for local charitable organizations.
The company's radio stations have received numerous awards, including multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in broadcast journalism as well as the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Marconi Award for excellence in radio broadcasting.
 
About NESN
NESN has consistently been one of the top rated regional sports networks in the country with award-winning Red Sox and Bruins coverage. The network is delivered to over 4 million homes throughout the six-state New England region and an additional 4.4 million homes nationally as NESN National. NESN.com, the network’s online sports news service, is one of the most visited regional sports network websites in the country. NESN also produces a number of distinctive programs under its umbrella Original NESN Entertainment (ONE). NESN is owned by Fenway Sports Group (owners of the Boston Red Sox) and the Boston Bruins.
 
About the Jimmy Fund
The Jimmy Fund (www.JimmyFund.org) solely supports Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, raising funds for adult and pediatric cancer care and research to improve the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world. It is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, as well as the official charity of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, and the Variety Children's Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thejimmyfundand on Twitter: @TheJimmyFund.