April 22, 2008
Jimmy Fund tips its cap to Twins Enterprise
Twins Enterprise becomes official headwear supplier of the Jimmy Fund
Jimmy Fund Clinic patient Jordan Leandre (in Red Sox jersey) with David, Steven, Arthur, Bobby and Mark D'Angelo from Twins Enterprise
For more than 60 years, the Jimmy Fund and Twins Enterprise have been favorite organizations of Boston Red Sox fans. Now the two are joining forces to help fight cancer.
The Jimmy Fund and Twins Enterprise are proud to announce that Twins Enterprise is the Official Headwear Supplier of the Jimmy Fund, which supports the fight against cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Twins will be providing custom hats as well as Red Sox hats for participants and volunteers at Jimmy Fund fundraising events such as the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk and Fantasy Day. New pediatric and adult cancer patients being treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will also receive hats in their welcome packets as a part of the agreement.
"Twins Enterprise has had a long relationship with the Jimmy Fund and we wanted to increase our commitment to the fight against cancer. Every day, patients begin an uncertain battle with cancer and we felt strongly that all patients should have a Red Sox hat to wear to inspire their recovery," said Steven D'Angelo, vice president, Twins Enterprise.
"We are thrilled to have Twins Enterprise as the official headwear of all our Jimmy Fund programs," says Jimmy Fund Chairman Mike Andrews. "This new partnership builds on the support the D'Angelo family has given Jimmy Fund Golf for more than 25 years and we are excited that our patients and event participants will be able to look stylish in new hats all year long."
Many Red Sox fans will recognize the child who will represent all Dana-Farber patients, both adults and children, who will benefit from this partnership. Seven-year-old Jordan Leandre has performed at Fenway Park on numerous occasions. He first sang the National Anthem as a 4 year old while wearing a leg brace due to the Ewing's sarcoma in his leg. That performance led to an appearance in the movie "Fever Pitch" and was the first of many return engagements at Fenway. In 2006, David Ortiz wheeled him out in a wheel chair to sing the anthem but in 2007, Jordan not only walked out by himself to sing the "Star Spangled Banner," he then ran around the bases to the delight of the crowd.
While this is the first time Twins Enterprise and the Jimmy Fund have come together, the two organizations have a lot in common. In 1947, Arthur and Henry D'Angelo (twin brothers) started selling Red Sox pennants outside Fenway Park. That business grew to the opening of the Souvenir Store across from Fenway Park. In the same year, and less than a mile away, Dr. Sidney Farber established what has become Dana-Farber and introduced the first research program in chemotherapy for children with cancer. A year later, the Jimmy Fund began fundraising for the cancer center.
More than six decades later, the Jimmy Fund and Twins Enterprise are known throughout the region and are inextricably linked to the Boston Red Sox. The D'Angelo children have carried on the tradition and expanded on their early success.
Over the past 60 years Twins Enterprise has grown into a national wholesale/retail operation producing licensed headwear and apparel for MLB, NBA, NHL and over 400 college programs. Twins Enterprise also holds several non-sport licenses. Through it all, Twins Enterprise has remained a privately held company with its roots firmly planted in New England. Twins Enterprise is based in Dedham and Boston and employs about 120 corporate and retail staff.
The Jimmy Fund and Twins Enterprise will also be teaming up for the Jimmy Fund Fantasy Day at Fenway Park on Saturday, June 28. The Red Sox Team Store will present "The Ultimate Fan Experience" for baseball enthusiasts of all ages. There will be photo opportunities, contests, a kid zone, Fenway tours, and a skills zone.
The Jimmy Fund continues to help raise the chances of survival for children and adults with cancer around the world. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives by furthering cancer research and care. Unrestricted support from the Jimmy Fund is an integral part of Mission Possible: The Dana-Farber Campaign to Conquer Cancer, a $1 billion capital campaign to accelerate cancer research, speed development of life-saving therapies, and expand the Institute's signature patient- and family-centered care.
Contact
Lisa McEvoy (Jimmy Fund)
(617) 632-4090
Steven David (Twins)
(781) 320-1384
