September 4, 2002
MFS Investment Management® presents
Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk September 29, 2002
One hundred employees of MFS Investment Management® will take to the streets between Hopkinton and Boston's Copley Square on Sunday, Sept. 29, walking up to 26.2 miles, or volunteering along the historic Boston Marathon® route, to raise money for lifesaving cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and its Jimmy Fund in the 14th Annual Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk.
The troops follow in the tracks of 90 of their cycling colleagues who just weeks ago rode up to 192 miles or volunteered in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC).
MFS is the presenting sponsor of the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk for the second straight year. Supporting the Jimmy Fund is a physical and emotional effort that has become part of the company's culture. Since 1999, MFS has contributed over $2.25 million to the Jimmy Fund through its presenting sponsorship of the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge and the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk, the largest fundraising events that benefit the Jimmy Fund.
The Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk is often referred to as Boston's hometown walk as it is the only event, other than the Boston Marathon itself, which is sanctioned by the Boston Athletic Association to take place along the famous 26-mile stretch. The heart and soul of the Jimmy Fund, The Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk bands together thousands of cancer survivors, patients, and their families and friends to form a unified army marching to fight cancer by raising imperative research funds.
"Our support of these Jimmy Fund events is a cooperative effort within the company," says Karen Brooks of the MFS Charitable Foundation. "Our employees are inspired by the extraordinary care and research they support at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They feel good about joining together as co-workers and extending our MFS family into the community."
The Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk and the PMC expect to raise nearly $20 million this year, well over half of all event-funds generated in 2002. The Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk attracts more than 8,000 participants each year, some walking the entire 26.2-mile Boston Marathon® route from Hopkinton to Boston.
Since 1989, the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk has raised approximately $22.5 million. The PMC is the nation's original charity bike-a-thon. Thousands of PMC cyclists rode in the two-day August event with expectations of adding $15 million to the $69 million they have raised and contributed to the Jimmy Fund since 1980.
In 2002, MFS was named one of Fortune magazine's 100 Best Places to Work across the nation. Cited for its company-wide commitment to its employees and for maintaining a corporate environment based on mutual respect, teamwork, and concern for each other as co-workers and peers, MFS has been honored three times since the Fortune 100 List was created five years ago.
It is programs like the Jimmy Fund sponsorship that enhance MFS' corporate culture, according to Brooks. "MFS employees and the company as a whole benefit from working together outside of the office, representing our company, and being a part of the greater community," Brooks says. "These community service efforts are very much a part of who we are at MFS." In June, MFS held a week of different fundraising events that brought recognition to those who participate in the Jimmy Fund events and encouraged all MFS employees to contribute financially to their colleagues' efforts.
"The leadership exhibited by MFS Investment Managements® on so many levels is an inspiration to the Jimmy Fund Walk team and to the thousands who participate in the event," says Emily Swymer, director of the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk. "We are grateful for their sponsorship and support of our mission."
About MFS Investment Management
MFS Investment Management is a premier global asset management firm, offering a full range of investment vehicles from mutual funds to annuities, separately managed accounts and retirement and college savings plans. The company is committed to providing investors with solid ways to pursue their financial goals. Individual and institutional investors alike have turned to MFS for its experience in all types of markets.
About the Jimmy Fund
The Jimmy Fund supports the fight against cancer at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which is recognized by the National Cancer Institute as one of the leaders in cancer care and research. Since 1948, millions have contributed to the Jimmy Fund and helped raise the chance of survival for children and adults with cancer around the world. Its supporters, including walkers and PMC riders, have been instrumental in helping Dana-Farber's clinicians and researchers learn more about cancer and its causes, and to develop new, increasingly effective treatments to be used worldwide. For information about the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk, visit www.jimmyfund.org or call (800) 632-3562.
Contact
Jackie Herskovitz
jackie@teakmedia.com
(617) 269-7171
