The Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund

Named after	Einar "Jimmy" Gustafson
Formation	1948; 76 years ago (1948)
Tax ID no.	04-2263040[1]
Purpose	Cancer research and patient care
Headquarters	Brookline, Massachusetts[1]
Chairman	Tom Caron, Brock Holt
Affiliations	Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Red Sox
Website	jimmyfund.org

The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is made up of community-based fundraising events and other programs that benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since 1948, millions of people have given money to the Jimmy Fund to help save lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide.^[2]

The Jimmy Fund holds fundraising events including Jimmy Fund Golf, the nation's oldest and largest charity golf program,^[3] and the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk.^[4] The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox,^[5] the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association,^[6] the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children's Charity of New England.^[7][8]

In 1947, Sidney Farber founded the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The following year he launched the Jimmy Fund to raise money to support the hospital.^[9][10] The fund was named after a patient who was named "Jimmy" to protect his identity – his real name was Einar Gustafson and his identity was revealed in 1998.^[9][10]

On May 22, 1948, "Jimmy" inspired a movement on Truth or Consequences, a national radio program hosted by Ralph Edwards.^[10][11] During the program, "Jimmy" was visited in the hospital by star players from the Boston Braves; the visit was arranged by future New England Patriots owner Billy Sullivan.^[10][11][12] Listeners were moved to act when asked to send in money to buy Jimmy a TV so that he could watch the Boston Braves.^[11][13] More than $200,000 was raised for the Jimmy Fund that year.^[10]

Beginning in 1949, some movie theaters began showing a Jimmy Fund trailer before movies and asked audience members to contribute to the fund.^[14]

The Jimmy Fund’s baseball origins later evolved into a longstanding partnership with the Boston Red Sox after the Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953.^[15][16]

In 1980, the Pan-Mass Challenge, a charity bicycle race, was founded to benefit the Jimmy Fund.^[17] In 1983, the Jimmy Fund began holding the Scooper Bowl, an ice cream festival, in Boston.^[18] Also in 1983, the fund began organizing golf tournaments to raise money.^[19] In 1989, the fund began organizing the Jimmy Fund Walk, which runs in conjunction with the Boston Marathon.^[20]

In 2002, the first WEEI Jimmy Fund Radiothon was held.^[21] In 2003, NESN joined the event and simulcasted it around New England.^[22]

In 2013, the Jimmy Fund held its first Big Ideas Contest asking the public to submit new fundraising ideas for the fund.^[23][24]

• The Jimmy Fund