This week, campers from SeriousFun Children’s Network joined Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, and The Roots for a special camp-inspired performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” in the Tonight Show Music Room.
Fallon has been a longtime supporter of the organization, which was founded by late actor and philanthropist Paul Newman. SeriousFun Children’s Network is made up of 30 camps and programs throughout the world that offer life-changing experiences to children living with serious illnesses and their families, always free of charge. In 2015 Fallon collaborated with Ben & Jerry’s to create “The Tonight Dough” Starring Jimmy Fallon, a specialty ice cream flavor with proceeds benefiting SeriousFun. This spring, the funds donated by Jimmy Fallon from the sale of the ice cream surpassed the $1 million mark. Last night’s performance marked a celebration of this impressive milestone.
All of SeriousFun Children’s Network’s programs and facilities are specially designed and adapted to meet the medical and psychosocial needs of campers and are always free of charge. State-of-the-art onsite medical expertise supports more than 50 different medical conditions, including cancer, blood disorders, neurological disorders, cardiac disorders, genetic disorders and HIV. The wide array of programs isn’t limited to traditional summer camp activities, with family and sibling weekends, adaptive winter sports programs, and in-hospital and community outreach programs taking place throughout the year. The funds raised from “The Tonight Dough” go towards supporting these safe and fun camp experiences that allow kids to simply be kids.
“We are thrilled to reach this incredible $1 million milestone from ‘The Tonight Dough’ sales through our relationship with Jimmy Fallon and Ben & Jerry’s,” said SeriousFun CEO Blake Maher. “They are both fantastic partners whose support helps ensure that we can provide transformative camp experiences to children living with many different types of serious illnesses all around the world, totally free of charge.”
Fallon recently attended the annual SeriousFun Children’s Network Gala at Pier Sixty in New York City on May 23, where he joined the campers onstage for a performance. The program also featured remarks from Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a surprise appearance by President Bill Clinton, as well as actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks, actor and director Alan Alda, singer-songwriter Crystal Monee Hall, and actress and producer Julianna Margulies.
“We are thrilled that our longtime partnership with Jimmy Fallon has benefitted so many kids,” said Ben & Jerry’s CEO Jostein Solheim. “‘The Tonight Dough’ is chock full of the stuff people love in Ben & Jerry’s pints, which goes beyond just the chunks and swirls to include the longtime commitment Ben & Jerry’s has made to give back to the community. SeriousFun Children’s Network is a perfect example of how impactful we can be when we come together.”
