14th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon presented by Arbella Insurance Foundation set for August 18 and 19 at Fenway Park

August 11, 2015

Tune in to hear doctors, patients and special guests share stories of hope and how to support the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

WEEI Sports Radio Network (93.7 FM), NESN and the Boston Red Sox are proud to announce that the 14th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon presented by Arbella Insurance Foundation will take place at Fenway Park on Tuesday, August 18 and Wednesday, August 19, from 6 a.m. to midnight. The compelling two-day event has become one of the Jimmy Fund’s biggest annual fundraisers. In 2014, the Radio-Telethon raised more than $3.3 million, bringing the thirteen-year total to more than $37 million.

This year’s 36-hour WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon will feature emotional, moving stories from Dana-Farber patients, doctors and nurses, as well as commentary from sports and entertainment celebrities, including Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino, a Dana-Farber trustee, and numerous Red Sox players, including 2015 Jimmy Fund Co-Captains Brock Holt and Pablo Sandoval.

Throughout the event, New England sports fans can tune in for special, live interviews featured only on the Radio-Telethon. Scheduled appearances include:

Tuesday, August 18:

• 9 a.m. hour - ESPN reporter Shelley Smith, a breast cancer survivor, will call in to lend her support.

Wednesday, August 19:

• 8 a.m. hour - Former Red Sox pitcher and Dana-Farber patient Curt Schilling will join the event with his oncology nurse.
• 1 p.m. hour - Boston Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens will appear to offer his support.
• 2 p.m. - A special “Red Sox Managers” interview with John Farrell and former manager Terry Francona. Francona will be back as manager of the opposing team, the Cleveland Indians.
• 4 p.m. – Robert, a Dana-Farber trustee, or Jonathan Kraft, Jeremy Jacobs, John Henry and Wyc Grousbeck, the owners of the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics, will appear together and talk about winning championships in Boston.

"The Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon always offers up a wide array of special guests, celebrity interviews and appointment listening, but we’ve outdone ourselves this year," said Entercom New England and WEEI VP/Market Manager Phil Zachary. "The Red Sox Managers segment and Pro Sports Ownership Roundtable are bona fide media events that will draw more listeners and viewers which, in turn, should yield greater contributions to the Jimmy Fund. It’ll be thrilling to watch America’s most impassioned sports fans rally 'round the cause."

These two days are the highlight of the year for everyone at NESN," said Sean McGrail, NESN President and CEO. “During this year’s radio-telethon, we will continue to share the stories of the patients, doctors, researchers and care-givers at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Each year the money raised during the Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon brings hope to those impacted by this terrible disease and we are grateful to our viewers for their continued support in finding a cure for cancer," he added.

The Red Sox players’ wives will volunteer for the Jimmy Fund at the event by answering phones to accept contributions on the evening of August 18 and taking part in in-park canister collections on the evening of August 19.

During both nights of the event, the Red Sox will hold special on-field ceremonies at Fenway Park before the team plays the Cleveland Indians at 7:10 p.m. Before the August 18 game, the 2015 Boston Red Sox Jimmy Fund Award will be presented to Robert Brack, of Concord, MA, chair of the Joan H. Brack Memorial Golf Tournament, for his support of Jimmy Fund Golf for more than 16 years.

On August 18, singer/songwriter Alex Preston, an "American Idol" season 13 finalist from Mont Vernon, NH, will perform the National Anthem before the game. Preston will also sing "God Bless America" during the game that night. On August 19, Mark Giove, 38, of Whitman, will perform the National Anthem. Mark’s son, Mason, 11, is being treated for a brain tumor at Dana-Farber. Joseph Letourneau, 23, of Goffstown, NH, will sing "God Bless America" during the game that evening. Joseph was treated for degeneration of the central nervous system associated with Histiocytosis X.

On the evening of August 18, a Dana-Farber stem call transplant patient will throw out the ceremonial first pitch alongside the stranger who donated his stem cells when they meet for the first time in-person on the mound. On August 19, more than 20 pediatric cancer patients from Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic who attended this past year’s annual Red Sox Spring Training trip to Fort Meyers, FL, will be on the field to throw out the first pitch.

The event is part of "Jimmy Fund Month" at Fenway Park throughout the month of August, which celebrates the 62-year partnership between the Red Sox and the Jimmy Fund - one of the most remarkable partnerships between a team and a charity in the history of professional sports.  Each year, Red Sox players and management take part in the Red Sox Challenge which continues to play a fundamental role in rallying the support of Red Sox Nation, and fueling the critical work being done at Dana-Farber. The Red Sox Challenge has raised more than $1.7 million since 2004.

"Make a gift and help us strike out cancer at Fenway Park during the 14th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon on August 18 and 19," said 2015 Jimmy Fund Co-Captain and Red Sox third baseman Brock Holt. "When you tune in, you’ll hear moving stories from Dana-Farber patients, doctors and from our teammates. The Red Sox have been proud supporters of the Jimmy Fund for more than 60 years," added Jimmy Fund Co-Captain and Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval.

To help strike out cancer during the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, call 877-738-1234 toll free. For more information or to make a gift online, go to www.JimmyFundRadioTelethon.org, or text KCANCER to 20222 to make a $10 gift.

Contacts:

Cathleen Genova
The Jimmy Fund
617-632-5655
cathleen_genova@dfci.harvard.edu

Adam Ralston
WEEI
617-779-3506
aralston@entercom.com

Gary Roy
NESN
617-927-1307
groy@nesn.com