WEEI/Red Sox/NESN Jimmy Fund Telethon

Photos courtesy of the Jimmy Fund Telethon website.

The WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Telethon, scheduled to be held this year from August 19-20th is perhaps, (as advertised as well) the most important work that WEEI, NESN, and the Red Sox do each year. The 35 - hour telethon raises money for Dana Farber cancer patients, and includes calls in to the WEEI radio station from researchers, doctors, nurses, parents of cancer patients, and patients themselves. As a listener to WEEI for a long time and someone who has heard the telethon on air the past couple of years, it is nothing short of an incredibly moving fundraiser. People with hearts of stone melt as well. As the telethon conveys, cancer touches just about everyone, and as a community, we need to support each other. Donating even a little bit of money helps. If George Steinbrenner can donate, so can each of us as individuals :)

The telethon, which is sponsored by the Red Sox, raises money for their signature charity of many, many years - the Jimmy Fund. The relationship of the Red Sox with the Jimmy Fund has been well-documented over the past several decades, with Johnny Pesky, Nomar Garciaparra, and other notable Sox players visiting kids over the years. Partnering with a charity is a no-brainer for an organization like the Red Sox - to whom much is given, much is asked in return. The awareness the Red Sox can generate is substantial, and they recognize that. "It takes more than courage to beat cancer" is the slogan of the event, and it is true. The financial backing must be there in order to make advances and eradicate this terrible disease. The Red Sox endorsement makes all the difference to attract attention and awareness to this event.

Kudos to the Red Sox for their continued philanthropic work - the Telethon is in its ninth year and has raised millions of dollars to date. Is anyone aware of other sports teams doing similar work? Let me know if so, I'd love to see what they do.