Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Day 149: Red Sox and The Jimmy Fund: 60 Years Strong

Tonight's one of those nights when you're watching the Sox game on TV, you really wish you were there. The weather is perfect for a ball game, the Red Sox bats are lively and it's a night when Jimmy Fund patients are celebrated at Fenway Park. Kids get the star treatment. Ask young Declan Cassidy, a four-year-old diagnosed with large optic tract glioma after he lost his vision, who has the special honor of saying the two most important words at the ballpark, "Play Ball!"

Today marks the 12th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon—a 36 hour event that has become one of the Jimmy Fund's biggest fundraisers. In 2012, this event raised $3.4 million and, of course, they're hoping for more this year. This emotional two-day event teams the folks from NESN, WEEI and the Red Sox as they take to Fenway Park and the phones to raise funds for research. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Jimmy Fund and Red Sox relationship.

When I turned on the television this morning and I saw that the radio-telethon had started, I nearly turned it off. The stories told by the survivors and their families, as well as the families who have lost someone to cancer reduce me to a sobbing mess before I even leave the house for work. I'm not sure how these on-air folks hold it together—especially when young patients at the Jimmy Fund that have been on their shows for years have since lost their battles. If you listened to any of this today, you know to keep your tissues handy.

If you're interested in donating, there are many ways—call 877-738-1234, visit www.jimmyfund.org or visit www.weei.com/jimmyfund. A with most events like this, every little bit counts and as of the writing of this post, the current total for this year stands at just over $900,000. I only wish I could give more...

No comments:

Post a Comment