The Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund raises funds to support adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1948 to raise funds for patient care and the fight against children’s cancer, the Jimmy Fund now supports the search for new cancer treatments and cures for both adults and children at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since its founding in 1948, the Jimmy Fund has raised more than $750 million, including $61 million in 2010. According to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 89 cents of every dollar raised supports Dana-Farber’s lifesaving mission; however, this figure cannot be verified through the Better Business Bureau.

The Jimmy Fund was launched with the help of the Variety Club of New England (now the Variety Children's Charity of New England). The club organized a radio broadcast from the bedside of a young cancer patient dubbed Jimmy as he was visited by members of the Boston Braves baseball team. Contributions poured in to buy Jimmy a television set so he could watch the Braves play.

From his first radio broadcast that launched the Jimmy Fund in the late 1940s to his countless appearances at Jimmy Fund events, Einar Gustafson, the Jimmy Fund's original "Jimmy," was an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people throughout New England.

Jimmy's story began in 1948, when Gustafson was a 12-year-old patient of Dr. Sidney Farber, founder of the Children's Cancer Research Foundation (eventually renamed Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) and a pioneer of modern chemotherapy.

Dubbed "Jimmy" to protect his privacy, Gustafson longed for a television set so he could watch his favorite baseball team — the Boston Braves. He was selected to speak on Ralph Edwards' national radio program, "Truth or Consequences," on May 22, 1948, which was broadcast from Gustafson's hospital room. During the broadcast, Edwards spoke to the young cancer patient from his Hollywood studio as Braves players crowded into Jimmy's hospital room in Boston. The show ended with a plea for listeners to send donations so Jimmy could get his TV set. Not only did he get his wish, but also more than $200,000 was collected in one year to support Dr. Farber's research. Thus began the Jimmy Fund.

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