Monday, May 9, 2011



Thursday night in the Foundation Room at House of Blues in Boston, MA, Boston Red Sox aces Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz released their own labels of Charity Wines. I was invited to do a couple of illustrations and attend the event.

- Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz of the Boston Red Sox
- Heidi Watney, Red Sox Reporter for NESN
- Andrew Graff, president of Charity Wines
- Brett Rudy and Mike Lembo, founders of Charity Hop Sports Marketing

From this initiative, athletes do not profit a single dime. Instead, 100% of their proceeds will raise big league dollars for charity:

- Clay Buchholz: "ChardonClay" benefits the Jimmy Fund

- Jon Lester: "CabernAce" benefits Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Bob Dougherty, the Director at the House of Blues, made the opening remarks to kick off the evening. Andrew Graff, president of Charity Wines then provided background on his company and all they do for great causes. Suzanne Fountain, Director of the Jimmy Fund, and Michael Rubin with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, both presented what they are doing to help fight cancer. Then Heidi Watney led a Q&A session with Lester and Buchholz, as well as took questions from the audience.

The 2011 wines are produced by acclaimed the Selby Winery located in Healdsburg, California. Both wines are expected to retail for about $14 a bottle, and will be available beginning this week and next across Red Sox Nation in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. For wine connoisseurs and Sox fans out of these states, wines can be purchased online at www.charitywines.com.

The Jimmy Fund
Clay Buchholz can be untouchable, proven by the no-hitter he tossed in just his second big league start. Yet, he reaches back and connects with those in need across the community. Buchholz is a Co-Captain of the Jimmy Fund, an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, and a portion of proceeds from ChardonClay support the Jimmy Fund in the fight against cancer at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, helping to raise the chances of survival for children and adults with cancer locally and around the world. Cheers. Learn more at www.jimmyfund.org.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Jon Lester knows the importance of overcoming barriers in life and on the diamond. Less than two years after being diagnosed with lymphoma, he pitched the biggest game of his life, helping his ballclub win a world championship. That's why proceeds from Jon Lester's CabernAce support Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the development of targeted immunotherapies. This pitch helps researchers maximize the body's own ability to strike out disease so lymphoma patients can win their own games in life.
Learn more at www.fhcrc.org.

Thank you John McGlynn for the photo.

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