13th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon presented by Arbella Insurance Foundation set for August 19 and 20 at Fenway Park

Emotional two-day event features stories from Dana-Farber patients and doctors

August 13, 2014

Joshua and Lisa Robert will throw out the first pitch on August 20

WEEI Sports Radio 93.7 FM, NESN (New England Sports Network) and the Boston Red Sox are proud to announce that the 13th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon presented by Arbella Insurance Foundation will take place at Fenway Park on Tuesday, August 19 and Wednesday, August 20, from 6 a.m. to midnight.

The emotional two-day event has become one of the Jimmy Fund’s biggest annual fundraisers. In 2013, the Radio-Telethon raised more than $3.5 million, bringing the twelve-year total to more than $34 million.

This year’s 36-hour Radio-Telethon will feature touching, compelling stories from Dana-Farber patients, doctors and nurses, as well as guest commentary from sports and entertainment celebrities, including Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino, and numerous Red Sox players, including 2014 Jimmy Fund co-captains David Ross and Will Middlebrooks.

A group of Red Sox players’ wives will also be volunteering at the event by answering phones to accept contributions on the evening of August 19, and taking part in canister collections on the evening of August 20.

"We are humbled and honored to once again work hand-in-hand with the Jimmy Fund and NESN to raise awareness and funds for this very important cause," said Kevin Graham, WEEI Brand Manager. "It's an emotional, enlightening and inspirational two days as patients, their families, and doctors share their courageous stories. We thank our listeners and advertising partners in advance for all their support."

"It's a privilege to work with the Jimmy Fund and the Red Sox to support the research and treatment being conducted at Dana Farber,” said Sean McGrail, NESN President & CEO. “We're grateful for the ongoing support from fans across the country that contribute in an effort to eradicate this terrible disease. We're looking forward to sharing the stories of patients, families, and doctors during this year's Radio-Telethon,” McGrail added.

During both nights of the event, the Red Sox will hold special on-field ceremonies at Fenway Park before the team plays the Los Angeles Angels at 7:10 p.m. Before the August 19 game, the 2014 Boston Red Sox Jimmy Fund Award will be presented to Quincy-based Granite Telecommunications and the company’s President and CEO Robert Hale, Jr., and his mother, Judy, co-founder of the company and a Dana-Farber Trustee. Boston singer and songwriter Jillian Jensen, who appeared on X Factor in 2012, and American Idol earlier this year, will also sing the National Anthem before the start of the game on August 19.

Local teenagers with a connection to the Jimmy Fund will perform during both games. On August 19, Talia Quagliaroli, 14, of Wethersfield, Conn., will sing God Bless America during the game. Her brother, Luciano, was a patient at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic. On August 20, Sarah Coelho, 15, of Winthrop, will perform the song. She was treated for leukemia at Dana-Farber when she was ages 2 through 5.

On the evening of August 19, Red Sox broadcaster and long-time Jimmy Fund supporter Joe Castiglione will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. On August 20, Lisa and Joshua Robert, a mother and son from Hudson, N.H. who were both treated at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic as children, will throw out the first pitch. This will be Lisa Robert’s second time on the mound after throwing out the first pitch of the Red Sox home opener in 1976 to catcher Carlton Fisk when she was Jimmy Fund Clinic patient.

“The Red Sox introduced this fundraiser in 2002 as a way to expand upon and deepen the decades-long relationship between the club and the Jimmy Fund," said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino. "Whether it's helping raise millions for cancer research, treatment, and care, or simply raising the spirits of patients being treated at the clinic, no cause is more dear to us than the fight against cancer. It is why we are committed to preserving our 61-year partnership, and advancing it in any way that helps fight this miserable disease.

The event is part of "Jimmy Fund Month" at Fenway Park throughout the month of August, which celebrates the more than 60-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.

"Help strike out cancer at Fenway Park during the 13th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon on August 19 and 20," said 2014 Jimmy Fund Co-Captain and Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks. "Tune in to hear heartfelt patient stories and listen to special appearances by my 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 catcher David Ross.

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