Boston Radio: WEEI Helps Raise $3.5M+ For the Jimmy Fund

Audacy helped raise over $3.5 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at the 20th anniversary “WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon,” presented by Arbella Insurance. This year’s event brought the fundraising total to over $65 million since the radio-telethon’s inception. The radio-telethon was started by WEEI-FM, The Jimmy Fund and the Boston Red Sox in 2002. New England Sports Network (NESN) joined the event in 2003.

“This was the 20th anniversary of the Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, and our listeners and sponsors came through like never before,” said Mike Thomas, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Boston. “To hear the doctors talk about the progress that is being made, the clinical trials that are ongoing and to hear from patients about how Dana-Farber saved their life will forever be in our hearts and minds. There really is nothing like the two days of this fundraiser.”

The event was part of a 36-hour live broadcast during WEEI weekday programming “The Greg Hill Show,” “Gresh & Keefe,” and “Merloni, Fauria & Mego” on August 23 and 24. The three shows, which were simulcast on NESN, combined to welcome Dana-Farber patients and their families, doctors, researchers, nurses and executives. 

Programming also featured Jimmy Fund Clinic director of patient and family programs Lisa Scherber; Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker; New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh; executives and/or coaches from the Boston Red Sox (Tom Werner, Sam Kennedy, Chaim Bloom, Alex Cora), New England Patriots (Bill Belichick), Boston Bruins (Jim Montgomery) and Boston Celtics (Steve Pagliuca, Brad Stevens, Ime Udoka); current and former Boston athletes including Mac Jones, David Ortiz, Richard Seymour, Shawn Thornton, Rich Hill, Garret Whitlock, Jonny Gomes, Charlie Davies, Brock Holt, Roger Clemens and more; plus local celebrities to share stories of inspiration and hope (Denis Leary, Michael Bivins, Lenny Clarke). 

Additionally, the radio-telethon was broadcast on the WEEI Sports Radio Network and NESN during two Red Sox game broadcasts and postgame programming.

For more information on this year’s event, including a full list of guests featured on WEEI, photos, videos and audio clips, please visit weei.com/jimmyfund.

➤Listeners can tune in to WEEI in Boston on air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.