2009 Jimmy Fund Telethon

There are few causes that I bother with... actually, there's only one. Not that I believe other causes aren't worthy, but the Jimmy Fund radio telethon just MEANS something to me. I know I don't have a huge blog following. Hell, I don't know if ANYONE reads these silly ramblings, but every year, I will do whatever I can to prompt people to donate.

The goal is $5 million. Right now, according to the website (http://www.weei.com/jimmy-fund/home), they're at about $400,000. The telethon has been on the air for just over 5 hours, and they haven't even raised $100,000 an hour yet. It IS a 36 hour telethon, and I know a lot of the big donations come later on, and towards the end, so I'm not worried. I also know that when given the chance, people prove that they're loving, caring, and want to help. Especially in Boston, people have such a good relationship with the Jimmy Fund. We care about this cause around these parts.... and if you don't, maybe you should.

I know the shape the economy is in, but as I was listening to the radio this morning, I heard a stat (and I hope I get this correct) that 80% of their donations last year under $100. I don't know how true that is, but if it is true, it blows my mind! Think of it. If everyone you knew would give just five dollars... man, that would be over a hundred dollars just from THIS floor of this office! For the price of a Starbucks coffee and a scone, you can help the Jimmy Fund reach their goal of helping people with cancer. You can go without coffee for one day to help children going through chemo, can't you?

I got into a debate this morning with a friend. He's convinced that there will never be a cure for cancer and there's no point in trying to find one. My reply to him was simple... Even if there's NEVER a cure, we can still work our hardest to improve the quality of life for people who were stricken with the disease. We can still give parents precious years with their sick children. We can make sure that a few more parents are around for college graduations. We can give people hope, and comfort, and make it so that their last years on Earth aren't years full of pain and suffering. And along the way, if we can find cures for even a percentage of the types of cancer out there, then that's a bonus! My God, it's not all about finding a cure, it's about giving hope. Everyone needs hope sometimes.

So consider the people in your life who have been affected by cancer. I pledge every year in memory of my father in the hope that the research they're doing will be able to save someone else's father. Even if you don't know anyone personally... as a baseball fan, look at Jon Lester and Mike Lowell. They were the lucky ones. They survived. They are proof that the research is working!

Do it for guys like Greg Montalbano, who lost his fight with cancer last week. Do it so guys like Greg can live full lives. Greg is a testament to the fact that there is still so much work to be done. He was too young to be lost to this awful disease, and while I didn't know him, my heart goes out to his family and friends.

Do it because it's the right thing to do.
Here's the number... 877-738-1234