Timeline
1948
The Jimmy Fund is launched with the help of the Variety Children's Charity of New England. The club organized a radio broadcast from the bedside of a young cancer patient dubbed "Jimmy" as he is visited by his heroes, members of the Boston Braves baseball team. People everywhere sent contributions to help purchase a television set for the young boy so he could watch the Braves play. This launched an effort that continues to bring hope to thousands of children and adults facing cancer throughout the world.
1949
Jimmy Fund movie theater collections begin, with volunteers asking for contributions before a feature film is shown while passing a collection canister. Movie trailers precede the passing of the canisters and have featured movie stars of the time including Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, and Bing Crosby.
1953
Boston Red Sox owners Tom and Jean Yawkey adopt the Jimmy Fund as the team's official charity when the Boston Braves head west to Milwaukee. The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association also names the Jimmy Fund as its official charity.
1967
Per the suggestion of future Major League Baseball legend Carl Yastrzemski, the 1967 Boston Red Sox "Impossible Dream Team" votes to give the Jimmy Fund a share of its winnings from the World Series, should they win.
1980
The Pan-Mass Challenge, a state-wide bicycle ride is founded, and today leads the nation in dollars raised for a charity by an athletic fundraising event. The PMC contributes 100% of every rider-raised dollar to the Jimmy Fund.
1983
The first annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl® ice cream extravaganza is held on the Boston Common. Jimmy Fund Golf, the nation’s oldest and largest charity golf program, is officially organized.
1989
The Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk begins with support from Boston Marathon organizers, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA). The Walk is the only event other than the Boston Marathon itself that uses the historic Boston Marathon route.
1998
The Jimmy Fund celebrates 50 years of progress in the fight against cancer. Just in time for the celebration, Einar Gustafson, the original "Jimmy," returned to Dana-Farber as a symbol of hope for thousands of children and adults battling cancer. Gustafson remained active with the Jimmy Fund until his death in 2001 at age 65.
2002
The inaugural WEEI Jimmy Fund Radiothon aired, raising more than $325,000. In 2003, NESN joins the event and turns it into a radio-telethon.
2004
The Pan-Mass Challenge marks its 25th year. With Jimmy Fund patients cheering them on from their hospital beds, the Boston Red Sox celebrate their first World Series championship win since 1916.
2007
The Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl celebrates its 25th anniversary with more than 40 flavors of ice cream and frozen yogurt at Boston City Hall Plaza. The three-day festival attracts people of all ages.
2009
Former Red Sox player Mike Andrews retires as Jimmy Fund Chairman, after dedicating more than 30 years in support of Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund.
2013
The Jimmy Fund and the Boston Red Sox celebrate their 60th anniversary — the oldest and most successful partnership between a sports team and charity in the nation. The Jimmy Fund Chorus debuted, and the season culminated in a World Series Championship. The inaugural Jimmy Fund Big Ideas Contest was held. Sung Park, of Chestnut Hill, Mass., wins with his "Coins to Cure Cancer" submission, and is one of more than 150 entries.
2014
The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team celebrates its 25th running of the Boston Marathon.
2015
The Pan-Mass Challenge hit a significant fundraising milestone, raising a half-billion dollars for Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund since 1980.
2016
Boston Red Sox President/CEO Emeritus, Larry Lucchino was named Chairman of the Jimmy Fund.
2021
The Dana-Farber Campaign launches, an ambitious, multi-year fundraising effort to prevent, treat, and defy cancer.
2022
Jimmy Fund Golf recognizes 40 years of defying cancer on the golf course.
Today
Hundreds of thousands of dedicated Jimmy Fund supporters continue to band together to say, "We're all Jimmy," allowing Dana-Farber to make remarkable progress in the fight against cancer.