WBZ Cares: The Genesis Foundation Foundation Aims At Helping Individuals With Special Needs
Each month, WBZ NewsRadio 1030 will highlight a worthy non-profit organization and tell the story of what it does for the community.
The campaign will involve news reporting, public service announcements and interviews.
For the month of August, WBZ Cares will profile the Genesis Foundation for Children, which raises funds to enrich the lives of children affected by birth defects and other disabilities.
The Foundation was created by WBZ's own Dr. Murray Feingold back in 1982. Dr. Feingold passed away last year, but his legacy lives on through the foundation.
Since its creation, the Genesis Foundation has been extremely successful in its fundraising efforts.
"Over the past 35 years, I would say we've raised close to 70 million dollars."
The Foundation's Director of Events Christine O'Donnell, says like any charity, they do face their own challenges.
"There are so many wonderful causes out there and to just really engage and capture the attention and the hearts of the people who want to donate their time and money, that's always the challenge. The challenge is to continue to broaden our scope and to find new people to reach new and younger generations."
Money raised goes to fund the clinical and medical arm of the foundation called the Feingold Center for Children at Children's Hospital in Waltham, where kids with genetic disorders go to get their diagnosis and coordinated care.
It's also used to pay for therapy and performing arts programs that allow children and young adults with special needs the opportunity to participate in arts and recreational programs.
And finally, the money raised funds the Pregnancy Exposure InfoLine, a confidential, free phone service dedicated to providing pregnant women with reliable information about the potential effects that environmental agents might have on their unborn baby. The phone number is 1-800-322-5014.
Three-quarters of the money raised comes from annual fundraising events ranging from golf tournaments to comedy nights, to Carl Yastrezemski Day at Fenway Park. Yaz day is being held September 1st this year. The Red Sox Dick Flavin emcees the event. He says it's a fun day for patients, their families and contributors.
"They can stand at home plate and bat, go into the bullpens and pitch against the speed gun, field balls off the Green Monster and Yaz takes a walk around and says hello to everyone who is there."
Flavin was good friends with Dr. Murray Feingold, and says Feingold was a master fundraiser, in large part, because it was something he believed in deeply.
"His dedication to this cause, was so intense, so meaningful to him, that it came across to other people. He could convince all kinds of other people to join him in his cause, it was a cause bigger than him. He understood that."
For more information, go to the TheGenesisFoundation.org.
