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WBZ Cares: The Genesis Foundation Legacy Lives Through Benefactors

BOSTON (CBS) - 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.

WBZ's own Dr. Murray Feingold created by the Genesis Foundation back in 1982. Dr. Feingold passed away last year, but his legacy lives on through the foundation, which has helped hundreds of young patients in the last 34 years.

The Foundation has raised nearly 70 million dollars since 1982, with most of the money going to fund the clinical and medical arm of the foundation, called the Feingold Center for Children at Children's Hospital in Waltham.

Three-quarters of the fundraising comes from annual events ranging from golf charity tournaments to comedy nights, to Carl Yastrezemski Day at Fenway Park. Yaz day is being held September 1st this year.

A great group of volunteers make it possible for the Foundation to hold so many successful fundraisers every year: people like Joan Keddy of Canton.

"One of my jobs, I would be out at a gold course selling raffle tickets. I did that a lot."

Keddy says it's the children she meets that keeps her coming back every year.

"The kids. There is no doubt about it. Once you meet these children, you fall in love with them and you want to do everything in the world to make sure their needs are met."

Volunteer AJ Nowak is a senior at Westborough High School. He agrees it's all about helping the children and their families. AJ's mom Cathy runs the Feingold Center for Children.

"Just from meeting all the kids the foundation helps, it really made me realize how much they need it and how important it is, so I wanted to help out as much as I could."

AJ Started a club at his school, that now has 70 members. They raise money for the Genesis Foundation...

"We have had a couple of restaurant nights where they gave us 50 percent of the proceeds. We've had a yard sale, some bake sales."

The Foundations' board of directors is also made up of volunteers. One of the members is Dr. Timothy Johnson, a former medical correspondent for ABCs News. He was a longtime friend of Dr. Murray Feingold.

"I was his supporter on the board right from the beginning, a listening post. I just walked alongside him as it got started and watched him work this miracle, which is really what it was. It was amazing he was able to pull this off from scratch."

Following in his father's footsteps, Dr. Feingold's son Justin is also on the board.

"It may have been a little nepotism, but I took it very seriously. I try to make an impact when I can, whether it is making phone calls or trying to raise some money. Now that he's gone its only empowered me to make sure that this legacy stays for as long as possible. It was my father's baby, if you will, it's something he was so proud of and he worked so hard to maintain and help the families. I am not going to let that down."

To learn more about the foundation, log on to TheGenesisFoundation.org.

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.

WBZ's own Dr. Murray Feingold created by the Genesis Foundation back in 1982. Dr. Feingold passed away last year, but his legacy lives on through the foundation, which has helped hundreds of young patients in the last 34 years.

The Foundation has raised nearly 70 million dollars since 1982, with most of the money going to fund the clinical and medical arm of the foundation, called the Feingold Center for Children at Children's Hospital in Waltham.

Three quarters of the fundraising comes from annual events ranging from golf charity tournaments, to comedy nights, to Carl Yastrezemski Day at Fenway Park. Yaz day is being held September 1st this year.

A great group of volunteers make it possible for the Foundation to hold so many successful fundraisers every year: people like Joan Keddy of Canton...

"One of my jobs, I would be out at a gold course selling raffle tickets. I did that a lot."

Keddy says it's the children she meets that keeps her coming back every year...

"The kids. There is no doubt about it. Once you meet these children, you fall in love with them and you want to do everything in the world to make sure their needs are met."

Volunteer AJ Nowak is a senior at Westborough High School. He agrees it's all about helping the children and their families. AJ's mom Cathy runs the Feingold Center for Children...

"Just from meeting all the kids the foundation helps, it really made me realize how much they need it and how important it is, so I wanted to help out as much as I could."

AJ Started a club at his school, that now has 70 members. They raise money for the Genesis Foundation.

"We have had a couple of restaurant nights where they gave us 50 percent of the proceeds. We've had a yard sale, some bake sales."

The Foundations' board of directors is also made up of volunteers. One of the members is Dr. Timothy Johnson, a former medical correspondent for ABCs News. He was a longtime friend of Dr. Murray Feingold...

"I was his supporter on the board right from the beginning, a listening post. I just walked alongside him as it got started and watched him work this miracle, which is really what it was. It was amazing he was able to pull this off from scratch."

Following in his father's footsteps, Dr. Feingold's son Justin is also on the board...

"It may have been a little nepotism, but I took it very seriously. I try to make an impact when I can, whether it is making phone calls or trying to raise some money. Now that he's gone its only empowered me to make sure that this legacy stays for as long as possible. It was my father's baby, if you will, it's something he was so proud of and he worked so hard to maintain and help the families. I am not going to let that down."

To learn more about the foundation, log on to TheGenesisFoundation.org.

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