Spring training 2004 marked the inaugural “Springing for a Cure” charity dinner to benefit “Curt’s Pitch for ALS” in Ft. Myers, FL.  The dinner was originally intended for web-connected Red Sox fans to finally meet each other face to face and talk baseball.  But that changed significantly when Curt Schilling joined the team and began posting on Red Sox web sites. To welcome Curt and show our support for his charitable causes, we turned the dinner into a fundraiser for his favorite charity, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Our numbers were small at this first “Springing for a Cure” dinner but we were able to raise $9,000 on site from an event that was planned in about 6 short weeks. Curt and Shonda surprised us by attending the dinner along with their four children and it was a very special evening for all of us.

Springing for a Cure 2005 was a much better planned event but with the same goal: to raise money for Curt’s Pitch for ALS.  In addition to the dinner and silent auction, three holiday cards were designed and sold through the web site.  Having the Red Sox win the World Series helped us sell over 7,000 cards in the first year! At the dinner, Casey Stern from State of the Red Sox.com Nation did a great job as the emcee for the evening and the Tampa Bay Heckler made an appearance.  Once again, Curt and Shonda joined us. Harry Horn, a former ABC news anchor, was a special guest for the evening. Harry was diagnosed with ALS in March, 2004 and sadly, he passed away in August, 2005. Through the silent auction, live auction, raffle prize, card sales and corporate sponsorships, Springing for a Cure 2005 raised $38,000 for the Florida and Massachusetts ALS Associations.

It was an evening of laughter, cheering and a few tears. Curt summed it all up when he said, “This is an awesome event. There is no other team in professional sports that would have a fan base to do what has been done here. You’ve touched countless number of lives; you’ve made an impact on people you will never know.  ALS is a death sentence and it affects a family and a community. It’s just awesome to see people rally without having to be pushed. All of us are blessed by the Lord; there are so many opportunities for us to change people’s lives. I think it’s at the core of what we should be about.”

It's truly hard to imagine that Springing for a Cure, 2006 could top 2005, but it did.  The event was held at Legends Country Club and this year, we were very pleased to see some familiar faces; The Reeds were on hand, as was Leon Peek who delivered an inspirational message of love and hope.  Aside from our guests of honor, Curt Schilling joined SFAC once more, but we were also delighted to have Joe Castiglione, the "voice" of the Red Sox regale us with stories from his many years in broadcasting, David Moulton of Sports Radio, who was a wonderful master of ceremonies, and John Flaherty, another Red Sox player who retired from Major League baseball (and the Sox), prior to joining us at SFAC.  Along with his wife Allyn, the Flaherty's have been advocates for ALS awareness for many years and we were grateful to have them join Springing for a Cure, 2006.  Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis' parents, Mike and Carolyn were on hand for this years charity dinner and they donated a beautiful diamond Circle of Love necklace.   

There were many great moments throughout the evening and it would be hard to say which one was the best.  Curt holding the beautiful (infant), Mackenzie MacGibbon, who was playing with his World Series ring, or the tremendous generosity shown through the auctions, or the great dinner conversations, or John Flaherty telling us about his call up to appear in his major league game at Yankee Stadium, or several other funny and moving moments that add up to Springing for a Cure; people helping and caring to find a cure for ALS. 

Curt and Shonda Schilling are well known for their efforts to raise awareness and money for several causes. Shonda founded and runs the Shade Foundation (www.shadefoundation.org) and they both work closely with the ALS Association.

Please join us for Springing for a Cure 2007 on March 16 and order one of our new holiday card designs to send to your friends and family. Let’s make this year a new record for raising funding and awareness of this terrible disease.