12-year-old Maxwell Surprenant of Needham, Mass., recently started the My Joke for Jimmy Challenge and is encouraging others to join him via social media.
Here’s how it works:
1. Take a video of yourself telling a joke 2. Share it on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #MyJokeforJimmy 3. Make a donation to the Jimmy Fund. Then tag three friends and ask them to do the same.
Well-known Bostonians have participated in the campaign including actress Eliza Dushku, business leaders as well as WCVB-TV/Channel 5 news personalities to support the Jimmy Fund which raises money solely to support pediatric and adult cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
“I believe we have to fight cancer with something more powerful – love, laughter, care, creativity and hope,” said Surprenant. “It is important to me that everyone, young and old, can participate in the My Joke for Jimmy Challenge and make a difference. Spreading positivity is good for the spirit, and laughing is healthy.”
The challenge stems from an idea that Surprenant and his family entered into the Jimmy Fund Big Ideas Contest in June 2015. His idea was selected as the winner from more than 200 entries from 19 states.
“The Jimmy Fund Big Ideas Contest showcased some incredibly creative ideas and it’s exciting to see them implemented,” said Susan S. Paresky, senior vice president for development at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. “We are thrilled to be the recipient of Maxwell’s creativity and goodwill of this campaign and hope that many more people will post a joke and raise money for the Jimmy Fund.”
As part of the Jimmy Fund Big Ideas Contest the five finalists were assigned a mentor to provide initial feedback and direction prior to the final presentations. Suprenant was mentored by Bill Fine, President & General Manager, WCVB-TV / Channel 5.
“I applaud Maxwell, an exceptionally bright, engaging and talented young man, for being the mastermind behind the #MyJokeForJimmy campaign. I met Maxwell while judging the Jimmy Fund’s Big Ideas contest and am so pleased to see his ‘big idea’ come to fruition,” said Bill Fine, WCVB President and General Manager. “All of us at WCVB are proud to support this viral campaign that is fueled by humor, in order to combat cancer and raise much needed money for the Jimmy Fund.”
