As some of you may know, my wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer this past November. I’ve been blown away by her resilience and bravery as she’s battled this terrible disease. She’s endured surgery, chemo, and radiation, and while the prognosis looks promising, it’s been a long few months.
During this difficult time, our family has been beyond grateful for the tremendous support we’ve received from the broader community. Your kind words and gestures have meant the world to us. It’s been especially moving to hear from cancer survivors and many others whose lives have been impacted by the disease. Every cancer story is unique, but I know we’re united by a shared determination to end cancer once and for all.
I’m committed to ending cancer because cancer has taken away so much.
My sister Joni passed away from lung cancer in her early 40s, despite never smoking. Joni was incredible, proudly serving our country as a diplomat during dangerous years in Northern Ireland and Colombia. At her funeral, it felt like this brilliant star had been extinguished, and I couldn’t make sense of why something so bad could happen to someone so good. She left behind two young daughters.
Last year, my dear friend Jimmy Cuticchia passed away from cancer as well. Jimmy served as a Lieutenant in the Andover Fire Department, and he represented the very best of our community. He spent his whole life protecting others, and it was cruel that his life got cut short. Jimmy was my daughter Ella’s godfather, and we miss him dearly.
Cancer takes away other things too. My mom was effectively in quarantine for months while fighting cancer two years ago, and she lost her hair during the treatments. Even when the overall prognosis is good, the actual recovery is still brutal. To me, it’s been inspiring to see friends like Rep. Frank Moran persevere and overcome cancer without losing a positive attitude.
Cancer takes away so much, but it can’t take away our community’s commitment to fight back. That’s why I’m looking forward to hosting an inaugural concert at the new Fenway Music Hall on August 27 to raise money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The doctors and researchers at Dana-Farber are unbelievable, and I hope we all can gather together in support of a great cause.
SEE DETAILS OF THE CONCERT BELOW
The concert will feature Lawrence’s own Sully Erna and his band Godsmack, along with the band Otherwise. In addition to raising money for Dana-Farber, the concert will help support Sully Erna’s Scars Foundation, which focuses on mental health issues. The past two years have accentuated the urgent need to invest in mental health programming and suicide prevention initiatives, and I’m excited to continue to support the Foundation’s work.
I hope you can join me on August 27. For more details, please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Barry Finegold
Note: Finegold represents Tewksbury in the Massachusetts State Senate.
Photo credit: PARIS VISONE PHOTOGRAPHY
617 Rocks Foundation Announces First Annual Charity Benefit Concert at MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Boston, MA – Today, the 617 Rocks Foundation, in partnership with Live Nation, announced that its first annual charity benefit concert will take place on Saturday, August 27, 2022, as part of the grand opening celebration of the new MGM Music Hall at Fenway. The concert will feature Godsmack and Otherwise, and all proceeds will benefit The Scars Foundation, a mental health charity founded by Godsmack front man Sully Erna, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Details on the concert can be found below:
617 Rocks Presents Godsmack & Otherwise
Saturday, August 27, 2022
Doors: 6:30pm / Show 8:00pm
MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Tickets on sale Friday, May 20, 2022 at 10am EST
The 617 Rocks Foundation was established earlier this year with the goal of harnessing the community-creating power of live music to raise funds in support cancer research and treatment and mental health awareness. Branded as a big tent music festival, 617 Rocks welcomes artists from the wide array of rock subgenres and fans of all ages and backgrounds. The foundation aims to expand the concert in future years, with the hope of operating a festival across multiple Fenway music venues featuring local talent.
617 Rocks Fest founder Barry Finegold decided to reach out to Lawrence, Massachusetts native Sully Erna about starting a charity benefit concert after seeing the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic had taken on the live music industry, as well as everyone’s mental health. “This concert and the future festivals we plan on hosting will bring people together via the power of music to support two causes that are very close to my heart,” said Finegold. “The past two years have been challenging for my family, as they have for every family. On top of the stress and isolation of the pandemic, my wife is bravely battling cancer. I also lost my sister Joni to lung cancer in 2012, and my mother is in recovery after facing cancer two years ago. We know that, unfortunately, mental health and cancer both touch almost everyone in some way, so I wanted to bring together our local music community to support these two important causes.”
The Scars Foundation Executive Director Naomi Fabricant echoed the need for resources in the Greater Boston area.
“Four years ago, when Sully Erna and I first started talking about launching The Scars Foundation, we both realized that there was something much bigger going on,” said Fabricant. “When I was introduced to Barry Finegold two years ago and understood the work he does in Lawrence, it was obvious that The Scars Foundation needed to bring our programming and resources to Sully’s hometown. Knowing Sully’s story and understanding the challenges that Lawrence and the surrounding community still face today, we hope that our work and this partnership help to improve and save lives.”
“We applaud Barry and Sully for their vision in creating the inaugural 617 Rocks Fest concert and are honored to be one of the local beneficiaries,” said Melany Duval, Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. “We look forward to working together to increase awareness of the need for funding for cancer care and treatment at Dana-Farber.”
Tickets go on sale on Friday, May 20th at 10am EST at MGMFenwayMusicHall.com.
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