Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

The following story was submitted by a few readers.

Ted Williams former baseball camp hits a home run for Jimmy Fund

Alumni and friends of the former Ted Williams Baseball Camp in Lakeville raised almost $6,000 for the Jimmy Fund this summer.

The funds were raised mainly via an online auction that consisted of baseball-related items, gift certificates, and services from businesses along the north and south shores. Other donations were the result of those attending hosted events such as craft and floral nights, a brewery night, and a successful breakfast with Santa and Anna and Elsa characters.

Williams’ daughter, Claudia, attracted dollars for the Jimmy Fund by donating for auction a stay at the Splendid Splinter Bed & Breakfast in Putney, Vt., and two autographed copies of her book, Ted Williams, My Father. The Splendid Splinter is the former home (renovated and transformed into a B&B) in which Claudia and her late brother, John-Henry, grew up with Ted’s third (divorced) wife, Dolores Wettach Williams.

All of the events and auction items brought in $5,925.40 for the Jimmy Fund, whose research and healthcare professionals of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute lead the fight against adult and childhood cancer.

Alumni of the former summer camp were to conduct the auction during a luncheon at the camp grounds July 18, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to shift gears and proceed online.

The Ted Williams Camp operated from 1958 through 1986, having instructed thousands of boys from age seven through their teens, with frequent appearances by the Splendid Splinter.

The late Hall of Fame slugging left fielder of the Boston Red Sox, Williams championed the Jimmy Fund cause during the latter years of his career, which began in 1939 and ended in 1960. Williams (1918-2002) maintained his love and support of the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber for the rest of his life. Many considered him the face of the charity, pouring his heart and soul into fundraising and making countless, mostly unpublicized, visits to young patients.

The Jimmy Fund was founded in 1948, and the Boston Braves baseball team quickly went to bat. A radio broadcast in Boston featuring Braves players comforting hospitalized kids went national, raising awareness of the Jimmy Fund and drawing in substantial amounts of financial donations.

When the Braves left Boston for Milwaukee after the 1952 season, the Red Sox – led by Ted – stepped to the plate, embraced the Jimmy Fund, and made it the official charity of the franchise.

Respectfully,

Joe LoRusso
Nadia Carlevale
Richard Trust
Bob Ashley
and the Ted Williams Camp Alumni