The Jimmy Fund
The Jimmy Fund community gives and fundraises to support cancer research and comprehensive clinical care for adults and kids at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The Mission
Statement
The Jimmy Fund began in Boston in 1948 as a way for the community to raise money in support of Dr. Sidney Farber's groundbreaking cancer research and care. Collecting donations of all sizes from friends, family, community members, and sponsors, the Jimmy Fund today supports Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through volunteer-led fundraising events including walks, races, auctions, golf tournaments, bake sales, and even online gaming. Donations from thousands of Jimmy Fund community events have added up to hundreds of millions of dollars since its founding to support Dana-Farber's breakthroughs in cancer research and care for adults and children, saving countless lives in Boston and around the world.
History
1948: A patient of Dr. Sidney Farber, dubbed “Jimmy” to protect his identity, appears on a radio broadcast organized by the Variety Children’s Charity of New England. A call for donations is made to help buy Jimmy a television so he can watch the Boston Braves while in treatment. More than $200,000 is raised, and that group of generous donors helped to found what has become known as the Jimmy Fund.
1949: The Theater Collections Program, the Jimmy Fund’s original and longest running fundraiser, begins. A special movie trailer is shown before volunteers walk the aisles with collection canisters and ask for donations to support the Jimmy Fund. Early trailers featured celebrities including Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Ted Williams, and Ed Sullivan.
Partnership w/ Red Sox
When the Braves move to Milwaukee, Boston Red Sox owners Tom and Jean Yawkey adopt the Jimmy Fund as the team’s official charity, marking the beginning of the longest and most successful charity and sports team partnership in history.