Bread and Roses

This Christmas Brian and I collected Toys for the Bread and Roses shelter in Lawrence, Massachusetts. This is the third year we've organized a toy collection program during the holidays. Past years have benefited Children's Hospital in Boston and Toys for Tots. Bread & Roses is a nonprofit, charitable organization created in 1980 to respond to the basic needs of the poorest members of the Greater Lawrence area. Completely supported by private donations, Bread and Roses seeks to create a center of compassion and hospitality where all are welcomed with respect and dignity.

Thanks so much to the friends, family and coworkers that made this years toys drive a success.

http://www.breadandroseslawrence.org/

Ethan Zohn

For Boston welcomes our newest cast member, Ethan Zohn! Three weeks ago Jeremy and I headed to New York to interview Ethan who was the winner of Survivor Africia and is Co-founder of the non profit organization, Grassroots Soccer. I first contacted Ethan almost a year ago, after a friend told me about the great work that Grassroots Soccer was doing in Africa. I was impressed with Ethan's spirit immediately. Ethan eagerly excepted our interview request after being diagnosed with Hodkins Lymphoma a month prior. As we prepared for our trip to New York, Ethan was undergoing intensive chemotherpy. When he got his first CT scan he expected to be rid of the cancer that is curable in 95 percent of cases, instead the cancer had spread. We canceled the interview so that Ethan could focus on his health and organized a charity run for Grassroots Soccer as a surprise. Thanks to everyone who came to the Zombie Run last October, we raised $840 dollars for Grassroots Soccer and he was very pumped.

Jeremy and I held the interview a few weeks after Ethan's treatment, which included 11 rounds of chemotherapy, 25 blasts of radiation and a stem cell transplant followed by 30 days of isolation in a sterile environment. As he described these treatments I thought, why would he even want to do this interview so soon after such an ordeal? His last statement put my thought to rest:

"You want to know the definition of fulfillment? Follow you heart, fight for a cause and see the hope that is born in someone else's eyes because of something you were able to do for them".

Again thanks to Ethan, all our supporters, and Danny Finocchiaro for pointing us in the direction of Grassroots Soccer.

Boys and Girls Club Annual Dinner

On February 3rd, Jeremiah, Don, Doug and I attended the Boys and Girls Club Annual Corporate Dinner as representatives of State Street Corp. Jay Hooley, State Street's acting CEO, has been involved with the Boys and Girls Club for many years. Here we got a chance to catch up with Josh Kraft, who was one of our first interviews and is now the CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston.

Haiti Relief/Toys for Children's

Some of the most supportive people in all of our fundraisers are my coworkers at State Street. Due to the success we had at last years toy drive, I decided to organize another one, this time to benefit the kids at Children's Hospital. Once again they outdid themselves, thanks so much for the support.

In addition to the toy drive we collected money to benefit the Red Cross and their mission to help Haiti relief. Our group collected 210 dollars. Thanks everyone at State Street!

Champions For Children

A couple weeks ago Mike, Kristen and I attended an annual Children's Hospital benefit called Champions for Children. The event is the combination of a formal dinner and silent auction to raise money for Children's Hospital. This years MC was Glenn Ordway aka "The Big O" and program director of Sports Radio 850 WEEI. Glenn introduced many speakers and also presented this years Champion Award to Josh Beckett. It was a very memorable night that raised a lot of money for a great causes.

Christmas Beards

What's better then Christmas, Beards and Charity? Christmas Beards for Charity! Last year Adam didn't shave from Thanksgiving to Christmas for no apparent reason, this year he has a mission. Many of us will join him this year to benefit Dana Farber and the American Lung Foundation.

Here's the plan. First get some family and friends to sponsor you. A dollar a day, two dollars a day, whatever you want. Each day you go without shaving, your sponsor will donate that amount to the charity pool. Each participant will have they're last shave Thanksgiving morning, and will then put the razor away until Christmas morning, if they can make it that far. Each day, take a picture and load it onto the website so everyone can see you day to day progress. I will be attempting the challenge and hope to go the distance. Click the link below for more information or to sign up.

http://christmasbeards.org/

Zombie Run to Benefit Grassroots Soccer

This past weekend we held our first annual Zombie Run to benefit Grassroots Soccer. Grassroots Soccer uses the power of soccer in the fight against HIV and AIDS. They provide youth worldwide with the knowledge, life skills and support to live healthier lives. Studies have shown that this program has been very successful in the communities that Grassroots is a part of. One of the greatest weapons one can use in the fight against the spread of AIDS/HIV is knowledge. By teaching these children to live healthy lifestyles and use responsibility in their actions, they are saving lives. Grassroots Soccer was co-founded by Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor Africa. Ethan's devotion to this foundation is simply impressive. After living for a short time in Africa, Ethan saw how severe a problem AIDS/HIV was and decided to take action. He co-founded Grassroots soccer and is a large part of the foundations success. To raise awareness, Ethan once dribbled a soccer ball from Foxboro, Mass to Washingston, D.C. Yea...he's no joke.
I contacted Ethan a month or so ago to hold an interview for the film. A month or so prior Ethan was diagnosed with Hodgkin’ spreading. Wes Lymphoma. Regardless of his battle, he wanted us to come to NYC for the interview. Unfortunately just weeks later he received an unexpected diagnose: after one month of Chemotherapy the cancer had gotten worst and was has since postponed the interview so that Ethan can focus on his health, but wanted to let Ethan that our prayers are with him and we support the work that he and the foundation do everyday. Thanks to our friends and supporters, we were able to raise 805 dollar to Grassroots Soccer.

To make a donation or to learn more about Grassroots Soccer, check them out at : http://www.grassrootsoccer.org/

2009 Beckett Bowl

Untitled from Matt Giordano on Vimeo.

Jimmy Fund Cookout

This past weekend Brian and Mark Molloy turned their annual tradition into a very successful fundraiser. Every year, Brian and his brother Mark plan a big summer cookout. This year they both decided to make it a fundraiser to benefit the Jimmy Fund. They raffled off prizes which included sports memorabilia and over twelve different restaurant gifts certificates all donated by individuals and local businesses. Entertainment included a Bags tournament for Bruins tickets and a live band which entertained the crowd throughout the night. They really did an impressive job at organizing the event. What was more impressive was the generous donations and support from all in attendance. At the end of the night the event raised 2,200 dollars for the Jimmy Fund.

Andrew McMahon Interview

On Sunday we interviewed Andrew McMahon, lead singer of the bands Something Corporate and Jack's Manniquin, at the Comcast Center while he was on tour with The Fray. Jeremy and I have always been a fan of Andrew's music, but this interview was for a cause a lot bigger. We spoke with him on his tour bus where he told his incredible story.

Andrew was born in Concord, Massachusetts. He spend several years in Mass before moving to New Jersey and then ultimatly California, where he now resides. On May 27th, 2005 Andrew was forced to cancel all of his upcoming shows. He was experiencing laryngitis and extreme fatigue and went to see his doctor in New York. After running tests, he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 22. During his battle with Leukemia, Andrew encouraged people to make donations to non profits that aided Leukemia research. Due to the overwelming support he recieved in coming months, what started as "In Leiu of Flowers" slowly progressed into the Dear Jack Foundation.

It's been four years since Andrew's diagnoses. Since then the foundation has done great things. Andrew takes pride in the Dear Jack Team as part of the annual Light the Night Walks for Leukemia and Lyphomia Society. Last year the Dear Jack Team raised $100,000 for the Leukemia nad Lyphomia Society.

As most of you know our last fundraiser was for the Dear Jack Foundation. I told Andrew about our fundraiser and how supportive our friends are to our film and to our fundraisers. He was truely honored when we told him that thanks to your support we raised $1,000 dollars to his foundation. Thanks again everyone.

A little bit about Andrew McMahon

On Sunday we held our interview with Andrew McMahon at the Comcast Center. I'm looking forward to posting all about it tomorrow, until then I wanted to show everyone two trailers to Andrew's documentary that will be coming out this September.

Charity Bowl for Dear Jack

Last Wednesday we held our annual charity bowl for the Dear Jack Foundation (to benefit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society). Twenty Five people competed for the coveted golden pin at Kings in Boston, but in the end in was Chris Dineen who was victorious. It was really a special night because of the turn out with such late notice. Some of you may know the Charity Bowl is an annual tradition, but this year we put it together quickly in order to surprise our next interviewee, Andrew McMahon.

Andrew McMahon is the lead singer of the bands Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin. If you haven't heard his music, you really need to. In 2005 when Andrew set out for his first world tour with Jack's Mannequin, he was blindsided with the news that he had Acute Lymphatic Leukemia. In July of 2006 he started the Dear Jack Foundation to raise funds for cancer research. The main beneficiaries of the Dear Jack Foundation are the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, and the Regents of the University of California. Andrew is an inspiration to our generation and to thank him for taking the time to speak with us while he's on tour with The Fray, we wanted to do something special. Our fundraiser raised 1,000 dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We'll post all the details about our interview with Andrew at the end of June. Thanks so much for everyone that came to the fundraiser, your support at these events and for the film make this project possible.

New England Film Magazine

For Boston is featured in NewEnglandFilm.com:

http://newenglandfilm.com/magazine/archives/2009/04/forboston

5K for the Greater Boston Food Bank

For the past two weeks, a handful of us joined the Mystic Runners Running Club on their weekly 5k Fun Run. This past week the Mystic Runners donated all funds raised to the Greater Boston Food Bank. Just wanted to post a quick blog to commend the Mystic Runners on their charitable actions and for letting us be a part of their group.

Cooking for a Cause

Last Thursday night, Mike Carli and I attended a benefit for East End House called Cooking for a Cause. The East End House is a non profit community center which provides programs and services to strengthen families and their communities. They specialize in quality affordable Child Care and School Age Programs, Emergency Food Service and several community workshops.


The function as held at the State Room, which is the 34th floor of 60 State Street and offers one of the most amazing views of Boston. The event was stock full of the finest restaurants, brewery's and winery's in the New England. We spent the night making the rounds to each table. After a couple hours of sampling the food and beverages, Kiss 108's Billy Costa started up the live auction. Some of the live auction items included a role in an upcoming movie which is being filmed in the Boston area, a villa in the Caribbean, and an appearance on TV Diner. They also held a silent auction all night that showcased mostly sports memorabilia. It was a great event, but most importantly called attention to and raised money for an important non profit organization.


For more information on East End House or to make a donation, visit their website at www.eastendhouse.org.

Run Mike Run

It's almost time again, the 2009 Boston Marathon is right around the corner, and one man has been training hard in preparation for the big day...and it's definitely not me. It's Mike Carli! I'll be lucky if I finish the 5k we're running tomorrow! This is Mike's second consecutive Boston marathon and once again he's raising money for a great cause, the American Liver Foundation. Mike started a blog to keep everyone in touch with his training and fundraising efforts. If you have some extra cash, log onto Mike's blog, make a donation, and show your support for Mike and a great foundation!

www.runmikerun2.com

IMDB

We're very happy that our short film, The Heart of the City, has been invited to become part of the worlds largest internet movie database, IMDB. The Heart of the City is a short version and driving force behind For Boston.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358579/

Prince Pizza - Easter Seals

This past week we attended an event at Prince Pizza/Giggles Comedy Club in Saugus to benefit Easter Seals. Easter Seals provides exceptional services, education, outreach, and advocacy so that people living with autism and other disabilities can learn, live, work and play in our communities. We got to enjoy unlimited pizza, and four hilarious comedians, while supporting a great organization. Thanks to everyone at Friendly's in Stoneham for planning the event!

To learn more about Easter Seals or to make a donation, visit their website at http://www.easterseals.com.

2008 Beckett Bowl

When going through old pictures I came across the 2008 Beckett Bowl. This is only the second year Josh Beckett held the event and it is already a huge success. Josh mirrored the Nomar Bowl, which was held for many years by former Red Sox shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra. The Beckett Bowl is a sponsored bowling event/afterparty that is designed to raise money for the Josh Beckett Foundation. The Josh Beckett Foundation was founded in 2007 to support community based programs that strive on the health and well-being of children, especially children that are seriously ill, disabled, poor, or disadvantaged.

The event kicks off with an hour of appearances on the red carpet. Actors and athletes sign autographs and spend time with the media outside, while ticket holders enjoy open bar and catering by Uppercrust inside. Once everyone is indoors Josh kicked the night off by welcoming everyone to the event and then handing the stage over to Children Hospital patient, Ryan Reardon, to bowl the first ball. Each team is then paired with a celebrity and the games begin. During the event the foundation provides an impressive silent auction to benefit the foundation. After the event everyone makes their way to Rain Nightclub where Darryl McDaniels, of Run-DMC, put on a live show. Highlight of the night had to be the duet of Darryl and Josh singing the Run-DMC classic, Walk this Way. This year Josh raised $325,000 dollars for Childrens Hospital and the Josh Beckett Foundation. Its impressive to think that one bowling event can raise so much for a good cause.

Mass Film Wrap Party

Last night we attended the Mass Film Wrap Party at the Castle at Park Plaza. It was a really great event to celebrate film in Boston. The Mass Film Office did not only a great job with the party, but more importantly, bringing a record breaking amount of films to Boston this past year.

Toys for Tots

We heard on the radio that Toys for Tots had recieved 300,000 requests this year, but at the time only had 5,000 toys in stock. Organized by my girlfriend Jamie, we rallied our office to raise 30 toys in just two days for the organization. Thanks to everyone in our office and to Jamie for the great idea.

Sean McDonough Celebrity Golf Classic

Three weeks ago I was proud to be a part of the 7th annual Sean McDonough Celebrity Golf Classic. Sean is a legendary announcer most widely known for being the voice of the Boston Red Sox for 17 years. He now works for ESPN where he provides commentary for college football, basketball, hockey, the College World Series and Major League Baseball. Seven years ago Sean started the Sean McDonough Charitable Foundation to raise money for children's charities in Massachusetts.



Sean was one of our first interviews. I was impressed with his eagerness to be part of the film. As soon as he heard the concept of our film he didn't hesitate to schedule our interview that week at the TD Bank North Garden. When I heard Sean speak about his charity and what it meant to him, I felt like we captured exactly what this film is all about, selfless goodwill from a man who genuinely cares. Sean and I kept in touch and myself and my girlfriend Jamie happily volunteered to help out with his annual golf classic. Sean and everyone involved with his foundation, especially his sister Erin, do great things for children in Massachusetts. For more information on the Sean McDonough Charitable Foundation or to make a donation visit the website below. One Hundred percent of your money will go towards helping children in Boston. Sean's charity has zero overhead.


The Sean McDonough Charitable Foundation

Blog Launch

The first of hopefully many blogs starts here! We're going to use this blog as the main source for updates on our film about the heart of Boston. Any new interviews, charity events, donations, or progress of any kind will posted so viewers can follow us through the making of the film. I plan to add several "flashback" moments of interview or events that took place already before the creation of the blog. Thanks for reading and we'll see you soon!