Impact Summer 2005 - The Jimmy Fund

Lively summer events season scores
a home run for Dana-Farber
Dear Friends,
The Jimmy Fund
is extremely thankful
to boast a vibrant
calendar of events
that reflects the
community’s
extraordinary dedication
to Dana-
Farber’s fight against
cancer. In 2005 alone, thousands of
volunteers will rally for the cause by
initiating more than 500 fun-filled
fundraising events.
This Impact spotlights just a few
of the festivities that took place during
our busiest summer season to
date. In June, we launched the
Jimmy Fund Regatta, which attracted
hundreds of competitive sailors. The
inaugural event set sail in Newport,
R.I., and sped past its $100,000
fundraising goal. In July, Institute
Trustee George Cloutier opened his
Nantucket home for the second
annual Boogie on Low Beach “funraiser,”
which garnered more than
$500,000 through ticket
sales and a fabulous
auction. And in August,
avid baseball fans took
to the field for the 14th
annual John Hancock
Fantasy Day at Fenway
Park. Participants
helped raise more than
$620,000 as they lived
their dreams and played ball like
their favorite Boston Red Sox heroes.
You’ll also read about the more
than 4,000 Pan-Massachusetts
Challenge (PMC) cyclists and 2,200
volunteers who helped raise millions
for Dana-Farber during their August
odyssey across the commonwealth.
Under the leadership of PMC
Founder and Executive Director Billy
Starr, the nation’s original fundraising
bike-a-thon has raised an incredible
$143 million for DFCI over its 26-
year history.
Finally, thousands of men and
women hit the fairways for the first
half of the 2005 Jimmy Fund Golf
season. By mid-July, 78 of the 150
total tournaments had already raised
$2.5 million toward the program’s
$5.2 million annual goal. Integral to
this success were new events—such as
the one sponsored by Sea View
Technologies in Exter, N.H.—as well
as more mature tournaments, including
the 26th Annual Jimmy Fund
Golf Tournament/Jeffrey Vinick
Memorial, which was played on five
courses this year.
As you can see, it has been a truly
exciting summer. Thank you to each
and every one of our event participants,
volunteers, sponsors, and
supporters who have given so generously
of their time and resources.
Collectively, the funds raised through
these events directly support the
search for cancer cures. We couldn’t
do it without you!
Susan S. Paresky
Senior Vice President for Development
Fantasy Day bats in big fundraising
for the Jimmy Fund
The excitement surrounding the legendary 2004
Boston Red Sox World Series victory was still going
strong this summer as fans lined up for a chance to
participate in the 14th annual John Hancock Fantasy Day at
Fenway Park. At Fantasy Day, people made gifts to
the Jimmy Fund for the chance to play ball like
their Red Sox heroes. Held on Aug. 6, the baseball
extravaganza earned more than $620,000 to
help Dana-Farber strike out cancer.
For many, playing in historic Fenway was a major
league dream. Fans were able to hit one against the
famed left-field wall, the Green Monster, or play in the outfield
to snag some fly balls and a piece of baseball glory.
From early in the morning until after sunset, these amateurs
became pros, with memories courtesy of the generosity of
presenting sponsor John Hancock Financial Services.
“As a dedicated supporter of both the Jimmy Fund and
Major League Baseball, we see Fantasy Day as a great opportunity
for our company to demonstrate its deep commitment
to improving the lives
of cancer patients
everywhere by participating
in
America’s favorite
pastime,” said Robert
Friedman, assistant
vice president of
This novice baseball player is poised to
hit one against Fenway Park’s famed
left-field wall, the Green Monster.
sports and event
marketing at
John Hancock.
THE
T O
B E
N E F
I T
JIMMY FUND
Robert Russo (left), and his father, Bob, both devout New
York Yankees fans, demonstrated an even greater allegiance
to the Jimmy Fund by participating in the Boston
Red Sox-themed Fantasy Day event.
Rivals come together for a great cause
For most New York Yankees fans, the idea of playing
ball at Fenway while wearing Sox uniforms would be sacrilegious.
However at this year’s Fantasy Day, Robert Russo
of Astoria, N.Y., and his friends and family hit the field,
proving that even the greatest rivalry in sports takes a back
seat when it comes to fighting cancer. Diagnosed with sarcoma
in 1999, Russo came to Dana-Farber to combat this
difficult-to-treat disease. With his cancer now stabilized,
he saw Fantasy Day as a great way to give back to the
place that continues to give him a second chance at life.
“If it weren’t for Dana-Farber, I would not be here to
have the opportunity to play ball at all,” said Russo.
“Though it isn’t pleasant to have to wear the Red Sox
jersey, it’s definitely worth it knowing that the money
raised will help others.”
Impact
Summer 2005 • Volume 8 • Issue 3
This issue covers gifts received and finalized
through the spring and summer of 2005.
Impact, a newsletter of Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute and the Jimmy Fund, is published by the
Department of Communications in collaboration
with the Division of Development for friends and
supporters of Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund.
President, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Edward J. Benz Jr., MD
Chief of Staff
Stephen E. Sallan, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Lawrence Shulman, MD
Chief Scientific Officer
Barrett Rollins, MD, PhD
Chair of Medical Oncology
James Griffin, MD
Chair of Pediatric Oncology
Stuart H. Orkin, MD
Senior Vice President for Development
Susan S. Paresky
Chairman of the Jimmy Fund
Michael J. Andrews
Senior Vice President for Communications
Steven R. Singer
Impact Editors
Laura DeCoste, Dawn Stapleton
Contributors
Alan Caplan, Michael Elvin, David Ferreira,
Brian Geer, Bob Israel, Sara Johnson,
Kristin Lacey, Susan Rice, Beth Rossi,
Lora Sharpe, Tom Ulrich, Coral Vogel
Art Director
John DiGianni
Designer
Irina Zlobina
Production Coordinator
Jeff Cleary
Photographers
Lucien Capehart, Lisa Cohen, Karen Cummings,
John Deputy, Roger Farrington, Dan Furness,
Steve Gilbert, Shawn Henry, Justin A. Knight,
Matthew McKee, Mark Ostow, Philip Porcella,
Jack Slomovitz Photographers,
Coral Vogel, Laura Wulf
Requests for copies of Impact may be sent to:
DFCI Development Office
10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor
Brookline, MA 02445-7226
(617) 632-3019
or download an issue at
www.dana-farber.org/impact
Since its founding in 1947 by the late Sidney
Farber, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has
been committed to a single mission: providing
cancer patients with the best treatments available
today, while developing the cures for tomorrow.
Its researchers are also making strides against
illnesses as devastating as AIDS and as ordinary
as the common cold.
A principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical
School, the Institute is a founding member of
the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, one of
39 comprehensive cancer centers designated by
the National Cancer Institute. Dana-Farber is
also one of 20 federally designated Centers for
AIDS Research in the United States. In addition
to providing advanced training for cancer physicians
and researchers, the Institute conducts
community-based programs in cancer control
and detection throughout New England.
Much of the work of Dana-Farber is made
possible by the generous supporters of the
Jimmy Fund, the fundraising organization
named for one of Dr. Farber’s young patients.
Founded in 1948, the Jimmy Fund is an official
charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts
Chiefs of Police Association, the annual Pan-
Massachusetts Challenge bike-a-thon, and the
Variety Children’s Charity of New England.
Each year, thousands of volunteers and donors
organize and participate in Jimmy Fund events.
2 Impact Summer 2005