December 2, 2024 • 39 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!
Rebecca Gavin - Dana-Farber’s Vice President of Annual, Planned & Institutional Giving discusses Giving Tuesday & Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute & the Jimmy Fund are hoping to raise more than $1 million to conquer cancer this Giving Tuesday!
Linda Matchan – Boston Globe correspondent - the writer and editor for Globe Santa which is in its 69th year delivering holiday joy to more than 3 million children in 201 communities across the Commonwealth, answering the letters of children and families and delivering toys, books and games to local children!
Kathy Butler, Director of Client Care at Home Instead in Waltham, MA says you can be a Santa to A Senior! It's a program that preads holiday cheer to lonely or financially challenged seniors.
Billy Busch - founder of the Busch Family Brewing & Distilling Company, is an heir to the iconic Anheuser-Busch legacy & Author of "Family Reins." It chronicles the journey of the Busch family.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio and listen to NightSide with Dan Rea Weeknights From 8PM-12AM!
Rebecca Gavin - Dana-Farber’s Vice President of Annual, Planned & Institutional Giving discusses Giving Tuesday & Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute & the Jimmy Fund are hoping to raise more than $1 million to conquer cancer this Giving Tuesday!
Linda Matchan – Boston Globe correspondent - the writer and editor for Globe Santa which is in its 69th year delivering holiday joy to more than 3 million children in 201 communities across the Commonwealth, answering the letters of children and families and delivering toys, books and games to local children!
Kathy Butler, Director of Client Care at Home Instead in Waltham, MA says you can be a Santa to A Senior! It's a program that preads holiday cheer to lonely or financially challenged seniors.
Billy Busch - founder of the Busch Family Brewing & Distilling Company, is an heir to the iconic Anheuser-Busch legacy & Author of "Family Reins." It chronicles the journey of the Busch family.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio and listen to NightSide with Dan Rea Weeknights From 8PM-12AM!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night Side with Dan Ray on WBS, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thanks very much, Nicole. Nice to be back. Had a
great Thanksgiving week, that is for sure on many fronts
and in many respects that I wish all of you
had a Thanksgiving week that was just a smashing success,
hopefully with family and friends and enjoyed the day of Thursday,
but also enjoyed some time off from your work as
(00:28):
I did. I want to thank Gary Tangway and my
great friend Morgan White who sat in last week for me.
Gary was in Monday and Tuesday night. Morgan did the
heavy duty of the week Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night,
including Thanksgiving night. Morgan is always there, has my back,
and I just want to thank him, particularly for the
(00:48):
time that he spent last week sitting in for me
again including Thanksgiving night, so he spent his night not
necessarily with his family and friends. He was behind the microphone. Morgan,
thanks very much, as well as thanks to Gary for
sitting in on Monday and Tuesday night. My name is
Dan rayam the host of Nightside. A little bit later
on tonight, we will have specific information for you about
(01:12):
our twelfth annual Nightside charity combine. We do that this
year on Friday night, December the twentieth, my last night
of my broadcast year. And if you are involved in
a charity, whether it's large or small, as long as
it is a nonprofit charity. We're not talking about you know,
(01:32):
Uncle Harry's beer fund or anything like that, has to
be if not a five oh one C three pretty
close to a five O one C three, you can
send me an email here at nightside. Just email me
at Dan Ray at at iHeartMedia dot com and that
will get you to me here and we'll give more
(01:52):
information about that. I don't want to take any more
time away from our guest. Rob Brooks is back behind
in the control room running all things, and he'll start
to take phone calls. Beginning at nine o'clock. We'll talk
with Ernie Bach. Ernie Bach, the Great Ernie Bak, a
businessman and philanthropist who does a lot of charity work.
(02:13):
He also is going to talk to us about Trump
taxes and tariffs in the nine o'clock hour, and at
ten o'clock we'll talk about the Hunter Biden pardon. But
first we're going to talk to you about some good
charitable activity you might want to involve yourself in in
the next few weeks leading up to Christmas and Hanukah
and Kwansa and all the various holidays that people celebrate.
(02:33):
I want to welcome Rebecca Gavin. She is with Dana Farber. Rebecca,
Welcome to night Side. How are you.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Tonight, I'm well, thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Well, this is that time of year, obviously, when everybody
gets involved. You are Dana Farber's vice president of Annual,
planned and institutional giving, and of course tomorrow is Giving Tuesday,
a global day of giving back to worthy causes. I
can't think of a more worthy cause than Dana Farber
Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. I guess that you're
(03:05):
hoping to raise tomorrow upwards of a million dollars, maybe
even a little over a million dollars. Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
That's exactly right. Giving Tuesday is a really important day
of giving for us and so many charities around the world. Really,
it really is an opportunity during this busy holiday season
when shopping gets underway, we know people are out caring
and thinking about their loved ones, and Giving Tuesday is
an opportunity for charities like Dana Farber to share how
(03:35):
we make a difference in the lives of others. So
we really try to get the word out and reach
out to our supporters to let them know that gifts
to Dana Farber are crucial in helping us fund the
patient care programs that support the social, emotional, spiritual needs
of our patients and families, and really importantly help us
(03:56):
advance the research breakthroughs that we need to move the
need and find new and improved therapy for all forms
of cancer right here in Boston and really around the world.
So it's an incredibly important day for us to launch
this season of giving.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, I know that Giving Tuesday is a relatively new event.
I believe it sort of became kind of institutionalized formally,
what about ten or so years ago across the country
and over.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Yeah, actually it started in twenty twelve and Dana Farber
has participated for the last ten years. But it really
began as a national day of giving in twenty twelve
to encourage people to do good and it really has that.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Last year they had a great year nationally. Again, this
is not the amount of money that unfortunately Dana Farbara
or the Jimmy fundraise, but nationally there was three point
one billion dollars given last year, and I guess that
gets their total giving over the years on Giving Tuesday
to about thirteen billion dollars in total. How has the
(05:04):
data Farber cracked the ten million dollar market at this point?
You've been doing it for ten years and you're looking
for a million dollars over time. How generous have people
been to Dana Farber on Giving Tuesday?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, people have been incredibly generous. And I will tell
you it's actually grown continually year over year for us.
And that's in the face of a pandemic. In the
post pandemic years, you know, in spite of world events,
global events, unstable economy, our giving has increased year over
a year and it's really incredible. So we're expecting around
(05:42):
five thousand gifts to be received tomorrow and it's really
an incredibly generous community of supporters that help us make
that difference.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So how does it work tomorrow? Is there a phone
bank people can call in and pledge or is it
is there a website they can go to and pledge?
How does this going to work mechanically for people who
want to support Data Farber and the Jimmy Fund.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yeah, so we try to make it easy. You can
donate online. You can go to Jimmyfund dot org backslash
give and you can learn more about Dana Farber and
our mission and make a gift online. Or you can
call one eight hundred fifty two Jimmy during business hours
and make your call with whoever answers the phone. So
(06:33):
really any amount makes a difference. And online giving is
open twenty four hours and we're happy to take calls
during the day. So it's a really exciting day for us.
And thanks to our friends at Arbella Insurance Group, there's
actually a special opportunity to make an even bigger impact
this year. Any gift made to Dana Farber and the
(06:55):
Jimmy Fund will be triple matched. So they are generously
matching gifts up to fifty thousand dollars tomorrow to really
jumpstart the day and get us stop much closer to
achieving incredible progress in our in our mission.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Wow, so let me give that website again, so it's
Jimmyfun dot org org backslash simply give give E or
the phone number and you're going to have these phone
staff twenty four to seven beginning at midnight, is what
I see. I think I understood. Is that true?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
So you can call one eight hundred and fifty two
Jimmy during the business hours. You can go to the
website Jimmy fund dot org backslash give anytime, day or night.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Okay. So the phones will be open tomorrow from what time?
I just want if people are going to use the phone?
What time?
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Absolutely starting at seven thirty, people are welcome to call
and we'll be we'll be manning the phones all day.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
And your definition of all day. Some people will say
it's going to they will stop at five o'clock because
that's the end of the workday. When when will the
phones be open to here? I need to know that
all they might need different things to different people, Rebecca,
Come on, we want.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
To make sure that you great business.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Knock it out of the ballpark. How late will the
phones be open tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
That's right, phones until six until six?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Okay, So phones and seven thirty to six and Jimmy
fund dot or org slash give Rebecca. Thank you very much.
Best of luck tomorrow. I hope that you exceed exceed
all of your wildest dreams.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Okay, so much for having me. We appreciate the incredible
generous community of people that support Dana Farber and the
Jimmy Fund.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
All right, thank you, Rebecca, appreciate it. And we come back.
We're going to talk about another great charity that is,
certainly this time of year, very very important, and that's
the Globe Santa in its sixty ninth year. We'll be
talking with Linda Matchin, Boston Globe, correspondent, writer and editor
for the Boston Globe. Right after this quick break on
a Monday night, as we gear back up again for
(09:00):
several more weeks of nightside programming right up until December twentieth.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios. I'm WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
All right, welcome back, everybody, mign My name is Dan Ray.
I'm back here after a great Thanksgiving week off, and
of course we have now moved into December and Christmas
is just around the corner, and we are delighted to
welcome Linda Matchin from the Boston Globe. She's a correspondent,
writer and editor for The Globe. Santa Is in his
(09:35):
sixty ninth year. My time flies Linda, how are you tonight?
Speaker 4 (09:40):
It does I'm very well, thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
So is this your project at the Globe? What is
your involvement? I know that you're a Globe correspondent, but
are you the person who's writing all the stories about
that we will see in the Globe in the upcoming weeks.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Well, my backstory is that I was a Globe reporter
and editor for thirty eight years, and I tried to leave,
but I'm back. I was asked about four years ago
if I would oversee the big the editor of the
Globe Santa Project, which raises money for children in need,
(10:23):
and the money goes towards getting them toys and books
and games for the holidays when their family can't afford it.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yeah. Well again, sixty ninth years, so that is quite
a heritage. I'm trying to remember. There was a fellow
who was associated with the Globe Santa for many, many years,
and I think he recently retired if I'm not mistaken,
correct me if I'm wrong.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
There there was Tom Cokeley. There was a Doug I'm
forgetting his name. Unfortunate Doug.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
To me, Well, that's okay. There were a number of
you know, Globe folks over the years who have carried
on this great tradition. That's what I'm trying to happen. Basically,
make the point that you've been doing it for several
years and over that time, some three million million children
in two hundred and one communities across the Commonwealth have
(11:23):
had their letters answered. Tell us how it works from
the perspective of the kid who hears about the globe Santa,
and then how does it all work? Explain to us,
and then we're going to try to get some folks
to help support you.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Thank you well. Generally, what happens is that the family
or the guardians are in one way or another connected
to a social service agency, often under the Department of
Transitional Assistance, but sometimes it's a church or a synagogue
or another kind of organization that helps people who are
(11:57):
in need, and they will very by the families financial need.
And once it's sort of official, they're given a form
to fill out and mail it to us to globes
and it sort of starts. They start you off with
your globes and you know, tell us your story, and
(12:17):
they tell us a bit about their family situation. But
they tell these really heartrending stories that are sometimes so
eloquent that there are times that it feels to me
like they're almost like poetry. I mean, people talk about
their heartships, but not only their heartships. They talk about
(12:38):
their faith. They talk about how kind people have been
to them, but they're struggling, and they talk about how
they're trying to get out of this struggle. But there's
so many reasons for why they're in the situation that
they are, and sometimes it's they've been in rough times
for a long time. Sometimes they have had difficulties because
(13:00):
of an illness in the family, or a death in
the family, or a bankruptcy or a lost job. During
the period of COVID, there were lots of letters like that,
saying that in one way or another, COVID effected them.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
And so once you get the names of the children
through what they call now the Department and Transitional Assistance,
and the children write a letter to the Globe of
Santa they make a request for a toy or a
specific type toy. I assume.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
The children occasionally write the letters. Generally it's the grown up,
although I have seen some really lovely letters from children.
I mean, sometimes the children are just infants, and we
have the toys are we kept seventeen thousand letters a year,
and so we can't tailor each request to each kid.
(13:52):
But through a lot of thinking and shopping and go
attending toy fare and putting our heads together, we come
up with some toys that would be appropriate for every
age level and age and gender.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
I assume and all of that, and you correct, and
it could be you know, if it's again a doll
or a dollhouse, or a game or a baseball glove
or whatever. Yeah, and so you've done this for this
will be your sixty ninth year. How can nightside listeners
(14:31):
they're not going out and buying toys and dropping them
off somewhere. I assume you hope that they'll support you
financially so you can do this. Is that the way
it works most effectively, most efficiently. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Absolutely, Although there are people or organizations that collect warm
winterware for children and donate it, and those go into
the boxes with other with the toys and books and games.
Going to globstandard dot com is the way that you'll
find how to donate through various items we own directly,
(15:08):
or by mailing a check or by phoning telephoning the
old fashioned way.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, that's okay. There's still people who use telephone, Jess.
I'm one of them. As a matter of fact, I
need to.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Be one of the two right now.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, yeah, right, that's that's wonderful. Now. I hear whenever
I hear someone say organization. Did you grow up in
Canada or did you grow up in upstate New York?
Speaker 4 (15:28):
How did you know?
Speaker 1 (15:30):
What?
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Did I say?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Organiza? Organization?
Speaker 5 (15:34):
What would you say?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Organization?
Speaker 4 (15:37):
That is very subtle out but nobody's ever pointed that
out to me before. I've been here for years.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Whatever. No, no, no, my friend Harry Sindon used to
use the word organization. That's how I figured out it
was a Canadian, the former Bruins coach and general manager.
That's the way Canadians pronounce organization as opposed to organization.
I'm only having fun with you. I hope you know that, Linda.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
I'm just drug well, I'm very impressed, feel.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Done, try to try to make you comfortable here. So look,
this is a great cause. It's a very local cause.
It's been going on now, a local cause that reaches
two hundred and one communities. But uh, it's it's just
a great cause sixty nine years and so, folks, if
you have an opportunity Globe Santa dot com, you can
(16:22):
get all the information you need about either making a
donation or contributing gifts or you also said again, winter clothing,
and certainly with the temperatures of the last couple of days,
all of us have started to rummage through our closets
and try to find where all that winter clothing was
that we put away last spring. So you know it's
(16:43):
it's clothing in this neck of the woods as well
as in Canada is an important aspect of the holiday
season as well. That's correct.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
But I made a mistake, Globe forgive me. If Globesanta
dot org or as dot d no problem.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
See that's what's great about radio. We can make mistakes
and we can we can correct them. Globe Santa dot org.
I should have caught that anyway. But Globe Santa dot org,
uh and Linda, I wish you every success this year
delivering toys and books and games to local kids, kids
who might not otherwise find something under the tree that
(17:21):
Santa left for them. And and as a result of
your great efforts, a lot of children will wake up
with smiles on their faces on Christmas or or whatever
holiday the family may be celebrating. Linda, thanks so much.
I'm sorry that I stunned you with the with the organization, but.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
But that's I learned my news. I gotta be careful now.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
It's charming. It's absolutely charming. Linda, thanks very much for
your time today.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity. Much appreciated,
my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Thanks so much. Imagine the Boston Globe, Globe Santa Dot. Okay,
we have one more Santa theme to talk about, and
that is via Santa to a senior when we get
back right after the news at the bottom of the hour.
You're listening to Nightside on WBZ ten thirty and your
AM dial if you're sitting in a car somewhere buzzing
(18:17):
along anywhere east of the Mississippi River and had picked
us up, or if you have us on the internet.
This is WBC in Boston. We're ten thirty on the
AM dial, Boston's news radio. My name's Dan Ray, and
this is Nightside and we'll be back right after this
quick newscast on a couple of messages at the bottom
of the Hour.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Well, we talked a little earlier tonight about Giving Tuesday
and the day of the annual effort by Dana Farburn
the Jimmy Fund on to raise some money. We talked
last hour with the representative of the Globe Santa Lindam
matchin and now Christmas not only is good for children,
(19:02):
but it's also good for everyone, and maybe you'd like
to be a Santa to a Senior program helper. We're
talking with Kathy Butler. She's director of client care at
Home Instead in Waltham, Massachusetts. First of all, Kathy, welcome
to Nightside and tell us exactly what Home Instead is
in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Thank you, Hi, Dan, how are you.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
We're doing great, Kath, Thanks very much.
Speaker 6 (19:29):
Yeah, thanks for having me so be a Santer to
a Senior. I guess it started like twenty one years
ago where Home Instead is an international company and we
have about seventeen franchises alone in Massachusetts. I'm actually in Lexington,
but our owners own the Walfam office also.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Okay, so just like you.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
Said, yeah, all the programs for.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Kids, but we deal with the seniors because.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
Home instead provides care giver services to seniors in their home,
sometimes in assistant livings and just like the title says,
you could stay home instead and be safer and who
can help families versus being in nursing home or sometimes
assisted living And so a lot of times some of
(20:19):
our referrals have no seniors in our areas who are
isolated or don't have family nearby, or maybe not financially able.
So this program is great because we work with nonprofits
and gyms and stores and set up trees and their
(20:40):
customers or their clients take bulbs that the seniors' names
are on with something they wish for, and then we
collect the gifts and we actually go to nursing homes
and assistant livings and wrap the gifts with other seniors
and then deliver them to the appropriate Sometimes some of
(21:00):
the seniors the names come from council and agings or
nursing homes, some assisted livings as well.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
So so the procedure is that your clients are our
people who you serve throughout the year which allow them
to live independently, maybe in their own home or maybe
in an assisted living facility. But some of them, uh
maybe don't have a lot of family in the area,
(21:31):
and for them, Christmas or for that matter, I guess
Honaker or whatever other homely they celebrate might might not
be what it is for many people, and maybe they
don't have they're not surrounded by family and friends. Those
are the folks who I assume you're focusing.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
On correct exactly, yes, and.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
Oftentimes, like for for Lexington, we have trees where we
put the bulbs and people take it at Winchester Savings
Bang People Fit, which is a senior gym in Wooburn
Uville Place and it's an assisted living in Lexington, and
then Rockland Trust and Waltham and Waltham at the Athletic clubs.
(22:15):
So the trees are set up there and we we
decorate them. We put them up and then we put
these paper bulbs on them that have the seniors' names,
just their first names and last name, and like if
they want a sweater or if they want slippers or
they some some of the masks for radios and CD players.
I'm not sure if those are still out there.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Okay, so well, yeah, their radios still work, trust me, am.
Radios and all that I don't know about. But radios work.
We're talking on a lot of radios right now. Will
you realize that they're not Kathy so uh so these
so individuals who are interested. I hope you have a
website where folks they have to physically go to one
(22:58):
of these locations to get a name, uh and the
the requested gift.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Correct, Yes, yes, they so.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
I just want to walk them through it. If someone's
interested here, what is the website is? You know you
can you can run the names of those locations again,
but no one's going to write them down. I'd rather
just have you give me a website. I assume those locations,
the different banks and and gyms, et cetera, where these
trees are uh in the in the Metro West area. Uh,
(23:31):
they must be listed, I assume on your.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
Website right, Yes, And and you can go to home
instead dot com and you can plug in the Lexington office,
or you could do Lexington home instead dot com Mass,
or you could do wallfam and you could see on
there there's a section via Santa Bostaus that that says
(23:54):
where the trees are set up. And also it's for
it's for people. We work with a lot of counsel
and agents that identify scews to us too, and oftentimes
they reach out and look at the website and get
in touch with us if they want SoRs to get
gifts as well.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Okay, so the again, I'm just trying to I'm very
very concrete. Okay, I'm not I'm not good at abstractions. So,
people who want to participate and and help uplift someone's
holiday season, do you list on the website, you know,
(24:34):
the names of the individual. You know, Mary wants a
pair of slippers, or you know, Joe is looking for
a new pickleball paddle or something, or do you Yeah,
they physically have to go to one of these locations
and to be able to look at the tree, I assume,
and then pick the name of the person and the
gift that they would could most easily get. Is that
(24:54):
the way it works.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
Exactly the latter. So, yeah, we don't have all the
names listed on our websites, but it tells them, It
tells anybody that looks at the website how the program works.
And sometimes if the trees aren't listed, it's got our
phone number and they could call us as well. And
a lot of times that triggers you know, people wanting
(25:19):
to know more about our services home instead and you
know how we can help them. We actually get a
lot of calls during the holidays when people are together
and realizing that their mom or dad or their loved
one is not doing as well as they thought they were,
you know, at home, and that's what they want to
stay at home and as well as we support the
(25:41):
families too.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
But just coming back to this program. So the individual
who's interested in bringing some joy and happiness to a
senior citizen, we're all going to be there at some
time if we live long enough. They get the name
and they know what the gift is. So they go
out and they buy the gift. Let's say, if they
(26:03):
look and someone's looking for pir of slippers or a
bathroom or whatever, and then they do they wrap it
and bring it back to the to the home instead office.
What after they buy the gift, what's their responsibility?
Speaker 6 (26:19):
So they take the ball, they buy the gift, like
let's say that it's for Mary, a senior, and so
she wants a woman's size small sweater. So they'll go
buy the gift and they don't wrap it.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
They just put the ball.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
They take the bulb of the paper ball back on
the gift and they bring it back to wherever whatever
tree they got like Winchester Savings Bank or oh okay,
there's a box there, or they put it under the tree.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
And then we collect them and we're the ones are
the office or volunteers or like I said, I do
wrapping parties at local assistant livings, and we wrap the gift,
put the ball back on and deliver it back to
wherever that came from, like a council and aging at
that's where the senior name came from.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Okay. So so basically there's a lot of the work
involved in terms of the wrapping the gift and delivering
the gift. The person never sees, never meets the senior
for whom they purchased the gift, but they know in
their heart that on that morning of Christmas or Hanka
or Kwanza or whatever it is, uh, there will be
a gift delivered uh to that senior uh and and
(27:27):
and it'll warm their heart a little bit. So that's
a great program. That's a great program. Yeah, I'm sorry
if I if I struggled with the details, but I
like to make sure people understand what's involved. So it's
pretty simple. You just go to one of the locations
that are listed at I assume your website is home
instead dot com. Is that correct? Yes, just a wild
(27:48):
guest there, Cally. I want you to know a good thing.
I got it right. And and then so they go
to a location that they're familiar with, they they they
identify the gift they want to buy for the senior,
they buy it, they bring it back to that same location.
So it's it's it's it's pretty easy for anyone who
wants to make this Christmas a little more special, this
(28:10):
holiday season, a little more special for someone who may
not have the family support that a lot of people have. So, Kathy,
thanks very much for explaining it. I know I probably
asked more questions than I have a right to, but
I want to make sure my audience understands what they
can do and how much how simple some of these
these efforts can be.
Speaker 6 (28:31):
Yeah, no, absolutely, I appreciate that. And we get a
lot of thank you from the seniors that receive the gifts,
and we usually bring them to the places that host
of the trees. So it is a really nice, good
feel kind of situation.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
For seniors.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
That's great.
Speaker 5 (28:48):
We really appreciate the support.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Sounds great, Kathy, Thank you very much. Again, home Instead
dot Com you can buy I can purchase a gift
for a senior that may may really we make this
this season special for someone who otherwise might not be special.
Thanks so much, Kathy. We appreciate your time tonight.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Okay, thanks Dan, Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Merry Christmas to you as well. Thank you. When we
get back, when we talk about Billy Bush. No, not
that Billy Bush from the tape with Donald Trump. Billy Bush,
who's member of the Bush dynasty, founder of the of
the Bush Family Brewing and Distilling Company. He's an heir
to the iconic Anheuser Bush legacy and an author. And
(29:34):
I think he's gonna have some very interesting things to
say about the family of which he's still a member
as far as I understand it. We'll talk with Billy
Bush right after the break here on night Side.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
Nightside Studios on w b Z, the news Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Delighted to welcome to the program. Billy Bush, as I
mentioned earlier, not the Billy Bush on the bus with
Donald Trump. A different Billy Bush. Billy Bush Bush has
written a book called Family Reigns, the extraordinary rise and
epic Fall of an American dynasty, and we're talking Bush beer.
(30:15):
Billy Bush, Welcome to Nightside. How are you.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
I'm doing great. Thank you for having me on.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
You're very welcome. This is the story of that iconic
Anheuser Busch dynasty, written for the first time by a
Bush Air. This is not a complimentary book about your family,
it would appear tell us about it.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
Well, I wouldn't say it's not a complimentary book. I'm
very proud of my family and for what the family
has accomplished over many generations, keeping a company, a business
in the family for five generations, six Bush leaders, and become,
you know, revolutionizing the beer industry the way Anheuser Bush did.
(30:58):
I think it's a great accomplish and I think I'm
very proud of that, and and I'm proud of the
fact that my family, we're all wonderful American patriots, hard workers.
They believed in this country. They believe that hard work
and determination and innovation would get them somewhere. And that's
why my great grandfather immigrated from Germany in the first place.
(31:21):
To live the American dream. And you know, and that's
what we received, and the whole family is much better
off for it. And you know, financially, there's no doubt
about it. Now, is it all a storybook growing up
in a family like us, No, it's not. And it
could be. It could be difficult, It can be challenging.
Sometimes business and family were indistinguishable. So it was almost
(31:47):
like when I was raised that I was raised by
a I was an employee, if you will, and and
that's just the way it was. But that was part
of growing up in the family. And I don't regret it.
I don't treat my kids of Christy and I my
wife and I have seven kids.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
And we raised you got a big, big family, a
big brood billy.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
We sure do, we sure do. And uh, you know,
my mom and dad had seven kids. I don't know.
Seven is heaven, I guess. But yeah, now we have
seven kids and it's pretty amazing. And I actually have
the two grandkids with us right now. My kids, my
son and his wife from California, they're living out there
in California now and they're here. So, you know, big
(32:34):
families are amazing, and you know, the thing is growing
up the way I did. Uh, it was the family
and the business for pretty much the same thing. We
represented Annazer Bush, We worked, our home was opened up
to the public, uh, to market the products at Annazer
Busch Bludweiser, namely. And that's just you know, the way
(32:57):
life was.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
And so let me bill me, let me jump in
for a couple of questions. This I find this fascinating.
So you know Budwiser beer Anheiser Busch, which everybody knows.
I mean, the Saint Louis Cardinals used to be owned
by Anheuser Bush. If I'm not mistaken, it was Bush
Stadium for a long time. I mean, so you you
(33:19):
you always been the beer has always been identified with baseball, correct.
Speaker 5 (33:24):
Well, that's that's correct. My dad bought the Saint Louis
Cardinals back in nineteen fifty three, and that's what gave
me the inspiration to open up our home, Grants Farm,
to the public because he invited the baseball Cardinal team
out to Grant's farm. And one of the wives actually
was Red Shandy. He's a great second baseman who played
for the Cardinals.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
And became became the manager of the Cardinals as well,
if I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
That's correct. And he was the he was His wife
was the inspiration to open up a grands farm for
my dad. She said, you should open this place up
to the public, and you know that gave him the
idea and he opened it up.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Yeah, you got you. You guys had you broke broke
the Red Sox Hearts in nineteen sixty seven, you know,
Bob Gibson and uh uh and Roger Marrish you know,
was in right field after a great career in the
American League with the Cardinals, and you had you had
Ken Boyer at third base. Those are the teams that
(34:23):
I grew up with. And of course before that stand
usual and I mean that's that's that's a big part
of the legacy of the Bush family. Now, Budweiser is
no longer owned by the family. I believe it's now
a Belgian company.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Correct, that's correct. It's a Belgian run by Brazilians and
it's called in BEV. Well, it's annaser Busch in BEV actually,
so they bought the company back in two thousand and eight.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Yeah, uh, and I wish the Bush family still owned it,
to be really honest with you. I mean, you know,
I have contributed more than a few beers to the
legacy of the family over the years as well as
you know, following baseball pretty closely. Is everybody okay in
(35:15):
the family at this point? Whenever you have a big,
successful family, this oftentimes, as we've found with you know,
presidential families to think of, you know, the Carters or
the Reagans have had, you know, children who kind of
go off and do their own thing. Has the family
stayed pretty much together? You know, everybody thinks, well, you're rich,
(35:36):
so everything's fine, But that doesn't necessarily always work that way,
if you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Yeah, no, it doesn't always work that way. And unfortunately
we haven't. A lot of us haven't stayed very close.
We had kind of falling out over our home that
we grew up on Grant's Farm, which my great which
my grandfather bought back at the turn of the twentieth century,
and he bought it because you listen to us, Grant
built house right there on Grant's farm, which still stands today. Again,
(36:04):
it's the place that my father opened to the public.
And we had a big kind of falling out over
Grant's farm and where it was going to go, how
it was going to end up, and so, you know,
we're all kind of separated at this point. We don't
a lot of us don't talk to each other, but
you know, I will say, and I'm very thankful. Everybody
(36:26):
seems healthy, everybody's happy, everybody has families, and so everybody's
doing their own thing.
Speaker 6 (36:32):
Do we do this the beer business?
Speaker 5 (36:33):
I'm actually I am actually continuing the beer business, the
beer tradition with my family. We have a small craft
brewery out on our farm in Saint Charles, Missouri, where
people come out and they enjoy the farm and the
beauty around the farm and animals there, and they drink
the beer that we make right there on the farm.
We also are putting into distillery. We have our own
(36:56):
whiskey out there, and you know, great, what's the.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Name of the what's the name of the craft beer?
We may have some beer aficionados.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
Darn right, well, the it's it's called Bush Family Brewing
into silling. And the beer we make, we make the
Adolphice Pilsner, which is a wonderful German pills Ar pilsner.
We make the the Gussy Bavarian locker, which is the Hell.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Of Fear all family names. I love that.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
That's correct, that's correct. But really the only place right
now you can get it is right there from the
from the farm itself. We're thinking about this, going back
to distribution. We also make a great beer that we
did have in distribution for a long time, never out
in Boston, but in in Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Kansas, and Wisconsin.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
We have a lot of beer in New England. So
don't don't forget us, Bill, if you if you spread
out a little bit. Look, the book is called Family Reigns,
The Extraordinary Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty. Uh,
it's out, it's available, And if you have an interest
in things dealing with Bush Beer, Anheuser Busch, Saint Louis Cardinals,
(38:05):
I think it's a great great uh, a great read. Uh.
And I'll just leave you with two words. Dal Maxville,
probably hessenl Maxville. What a great but a great second basement.
Speaker 5 (38:18):
And you all got to keep the New England Patriots.
I know my cousin, Jimmy Orthwine bought the team way
back when and he was thinking.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
About d.
Speaker 5 (38:29):
You talking about moving Tom to Saint Louis in August.
My brother told him if he moves them to Saint Louis,
he would he would basically be fired from the company
because he was on the board at anazer Bush, because
Boston threatened to boycout annazer Bush and not anyway.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
I remember that I have a great friend of mine
from Boss from the Hodtiston area, Mark Sweeney, who played
with the Cardinals, came up with the Cardinals and in
the nineteen nineties and National League outfield. A great family
here in New England. So we got I don't know
if you know, market, all these great guys now one
of your broadcasters for the Cardinals, to believe it or not.
(39:04):
So it's a small world. Thank you much for John.
Theyver get to Boston. We'll talk to you in person.
Speaker 5 (39:10):
Okay, that'd be amazing. Thank you very much for having
me on. Take care and Merry Christmas to all you
in Boston.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Merry Christmas to the Bush family. That's for sure. All right.
We are gonna talk when we come back about the
car industry with another very important individual, Ernie Bach. Ernie
Bark Junior will join us talking about Trump taxes and tariffs.
Coming back right after the nine o'clock news here on
a Monday night, December second,
It's night Side with Dan Ray on WBS, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thanks very much, Nicole. Nice to be back. Had a
great Thanksgiving week, that is for sure on many fronts
and in many respects that I wish all of you
had a Thanksgiving week that was just a smashing success,
hopefully with family and friends and enjoyed the day of Thursday,
but also enjoyed some time off from your work as
(00:28):
I did. I want to thank Gary Tangway and my
great friend Morgan White who sat in last week for me.
Gary was in Monday and Tuesday night. Morgan did the
heavy duty of the week Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night,
including Thanksgiving night. Morgan is always there, has my back,
and I just want to thank him, particularly for the
(00:48):
time that he spent last week sitting in for me
again including Thanksgiving night, so he spent his night not
necessarily with his family and friends. He was behind the microphone. Morgan,
thanks very much, as well as thanks to Gary for
sitting in on Monday and Tuesday night. My name is
Dan rayam the host of Nightside. A little bit later
on tonight, we will have specific information for you about
(01:12):
our twelfth annual Nightside charity combine. We do that this
year on Friday night, December the twentieth, my last night
of my broadcast year. And if you are involved in
a charity, whether it's large or small, as long as
it is a nonprofit charity. We're not talking about you know,
(01:32):
Uncle Harry's beer fund or anything like that, has to
be if not a five oh one C three pretty
close to a five O one C three, you can
send me an email here at nightside. Just email me
at Dan Ray at at iHeartMedia dot com and that
will get you to me here and we'll give more
(01:52):
information about that. I don't want to take any more
time away from our guest. Rob Brooks is back behind
in the control room running all things, and he'll start
to take phone calls. Beginning at nine o'clock. We'll talk
with Ernie Bach. Ernie Bach, the Great Ernie Bak, a
businessman and philanthropist who does a lot of charity work.
(02:13):
He also is going to talk to us about Trump
taxes and tariffs in the nine o'clock hour, and at
ten o'clock we'll talk about the Hunter Biden pardon. But
first we're going to talk to you about some good
charitable activity you might want to involve yourself in in
the next few weeks leading up to Christmas and Hanukah
and Kwansa and all the various holidays that people celebrate.
(02:33):
I want to welcome Rebecca Gavin. She is with Dana Farber. Rebecca,
Welcome to night Side. How are you.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Tonight, I'm well, thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Well, this is that time of year, obviously, when everybody
gets involved. You are Dana Farber's vice president of Annual,
planned and institutional giving, and of course tomorrow is Giving Tuesday,
a global day of giving back to worthy causes. I
can't think of a more worthy cause than Dana Farber
Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. I guess that you're
(03:05):
hoping to raise tomorrow upwards of a million dollars, maybe
even a little over a million dollars. Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
That's exactly right. Giving Tuesday is a really important day
of giving for us and so many charities around the world. Really,
it really is an opportunity during this busy holiday season
when shopping gets underway, we know people are out caring
and thinking about their loved ones, and Giving Tuesday is
an opportunity for charities like Dana Farber to share how
(03:35):
we make a difference in the lives of others. So
we really try to get the word out and reach
out to our supporters to let them know that gifts
to Dana Farber are crucial in helping us fund the
patient care programs that support the social, emotional, spiritual needs
of our patients and families, and really importantly help us
(03:56):
advance the research breakthroughs that we need to move the
need and find new and improved therapy for all forms
of cancer right here in Boston and really around the world.
So it's an incredibly important day for us to launch
this season of giving.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, I know that Giving Tuesday is a relatively new event.
I believe it sort of became kind of institutionalized formally,
what about ten or so years ago across the country
and over.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Yeah, actually it started in twenty twelve and Dana Farber
has participated for the last ten years. But it really
began as a national day of giving in twenty twelve
to encourage people to do good and it really has that.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Last year they had a great year nationally. Again, this
is not the amount of money that unfortunately Dana Farbara
or the Jimmy fundraise, but nationally there was three point
one billion dollars given last year, and I guess that
gets their total giving over the years on Giving Tuesday
to about thirteen billion dollars in total. How has the
(05:04):
data Farber cracked the ten million dollar market at this point?
You've been doing it for ten years and you're looking
for a million dollars over time. How generous have people
been to Dana Farber on Giving Tuesday?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, people have been incredibly generous. And I will tell
you it's actually grown continually year over year for us.
And that's in the face of a pandemic. In the
post pandemic years, you know, in spite of world events,
global events, unstable economy, our giving has increased year over
a year and it's really incredible. So we're expecting around
(05:42):
five thousand gifts to be received tomorrow and it's really
an incredibly generous community of supporters that help us make
that difference.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So how does it work tomorrow? Is there a phone
bank people can call in and pledge or is it
is there a website they can go to and pledge?
How does this going to work mechanically for people who
want to support Data Farber and the Jimmy Fund.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yeah, so we try to make it easy. You can
donate online. You can go to Jimmyfund dot org backslash
give and you can learn more about Dana Farber and
our mission and make a gift online. Or you can
call one eight hundred fifty two Jimmy during business hours
and make your call with whoever answers the phone. So
(06:33):
really any amount makes a difference. And online giving is
open twenty four hours and we're happy to take calls
during the day. So it's a really exciting day for us.
And thanks to our friends at Arbella Insurance Group, there's
actually a special opportunity to make an even bigger impact
this year. Any gift made to Dana Farber and the
(06:55):
Jimmy Fund will be triple matched. So they are generously
matching gifts up to fifty thousand dollars tomorrow to really
jumpstart the day and get us stop much closer to
achieving incredible progress in our in our mission.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Wow, so let me give that website again, so it's
Jimmyfun dot org org backslash simply give give E or
the phone number and you're going to have these phone
staff twenty four to seven beginning at midnight, is what
I see. I think I understood. Is that true?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
So you can call one eight hundred and fifty two
Jimmy during the business hours. You can go to the
website Jimmy fund dot org backslash give anytime, day or night.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Okay. So the phones will be open tomorrow from what time?
I just want if people are going to use the phone?
What time?
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Absolutely starting at seven thirty, people are welcome to call
and we'll be we'll be manning the phones all day.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
And your definition of all day. Some people will say
it's going to they will stop at five o'clock because
that's the end of the workday. When when will the
phones be open to here? I need to know that
all they might need different things to different people, Rebecca,
Come on, we want.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
To make sure that you great business.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Knock it out of the ballpark. How late will the
phones be open tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
That's right, phones until six until six?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Okay, So phones and seven thirty to six and Jimmy
fund dot or org slash give Rebecca. Thank you very much.
Best of luck tomorrow. I hope that you exceed exceed
all of your wildest dreams.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Okay, so much for having me. We appreciate the incredible
generous community of people that support Dana Farber and the
Jimmy Fund.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
All right, thank you, Rebecca, appreciate it. And we come back.
We're going to talk about another great charity that is,
certainly this time of year, very very important, and that's
the Globe Santa in its sixty ninth year. We'll be
talking with Linda Matchin, Boston Globe, correspondent, writer and editor
for the Boston Globe. Right after this quick break on
a Monday night, as we gear back up again for
(09:00):
several more weeks of nightside programming right up until December twentieth.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios. I'm WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
All right, welcome back, everybody, mign My name is Dan Ray.
I'm back here after a great Thanksgiving week off, and
of course we have now moved into December and Christmas
is just around the corner, and we are delighted to
welcome Linda Matchin from the Boston Globe. She's a correspondent,
writer and editor for The Globe. Santa Is in his
(09:35):
sixty ninth year. My time flies Linda, how are you tonight?
Speaker 4 (09:40):
It does I'm very well, thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
So is this your project at the Globe? What is
your involvement? I know that you're a Globe correspondent, but
are you the person who's writing all the stories about
that we will see in the Globe in the upcoming weeks.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Well, my backstory is that I was a Globe reporter
and editor for thirty eight years, and I tried to leave,
but I'm back. I was asked about four years ago
if I would oversee the big the editor of the
Globe Santa Project, which raises money for children in need,
(10:23):
and the money goes towards getting them toys and books
and games for the holidays when their family can't afford it.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yeah. Well again, sixty ninth years, so that is quite
a heritage. I'm trying to remember. There was a fellow
who was associated with the Globe Santa for many, many years,
and I think he recently retired if I'm not mistaken,
correct me if I'm wrong.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
There there was Tom Cokeley. There was a Doug I'm
forgetting his name. Unfortunate Doug.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
To me, Well, that's okay. There were a number of
you know, Globe folks over the years who have carried
on this great tradition. That's what I'm trying to happen. Basically,
make the point that you've been doing it for several
years and over that time, some three million million children
in two hundred and one communities across the Commonwealth have
(11:23):
had their letters answered. Tell us how it works from
the perspective of the kid who hears about the globe Santa,
and then how does it all work? Explain to us,
and then we're going to try to get some folks
to help support you.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Thank you well. Generally, what happens is that the family
or the guardians are in one way or another connected
to a social service agency, often under the Department of
Transitional Assistance, but sometimes it's a church or a synagogue
or another kind of organization that helps people who are
(11:57):
in need, and they will very by the families financial need.
And once it's sort of official, they're given a form
to fill out and mail it to us to globes
and it sort of starts. They start you off with
your globes and you know, tell us your story, and
(12:17):
they tell us a bit about their family situation. But
they tell these really heartrending stories that are sometimes so
eloquent that there are times that it feels to me
like they're almost like poetry. I mean, people talk about
their heartships, but not only their heartships. They talk about
(12:38):
their faith. They talk about how kind people have been
to them, but they're struggling, and they talk about how
they're trying to get out of this struggle. But there's
so many reasons for why they're in the situation that
they are, and sometimes it's they've been in rough times
for a long time. Sometimes they have had difficulties because
(13:00):
of an illness in the family, or a death in
the family, or a bankruptcy or a lost job. During
the period of COVID, there were lots of letters like that,
saying that in one way or another, COVID effected them.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
And so once you get the names of the children
through what they call now the Department and Transitional Assistance,
and the children write a letter to the Globe of
Santa they make a request for a toy or a
specific type toy. I assume.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
The children occasionally write the letters. Generally it's the grown up,
although I have seen some really lovely letters from children.
I mean, sometimes the children are just infants, and we
have the toys are we kept seventeen thousand letters a year,
and so we can't tailor each request to each kid.
(13:52):
But through a lot of thinking and shopping and go
attending toy fare and putting our heads together, we come
up with some toys that would be appropriate for every
age level and age and gender.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
I assume and all of that, and you correct, and
it could be you know, if it's again a doll
or a dollhouse, or a game or a baseball glove
or whatever. Yeah, and so you've done this for this
will be your sixty ninth year. How can nightside listeners
(14:31):
they're not going out and buying toys and dropping them
off somewhere. I assume you hope that they'll support you
financially so you can do this. Is that the way
it works most effectively, most efficiently. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Absolutely, Although there are people or organizations that collect warm
winterware for children and donate it, and those go into
the boxes with other with the toys and books and games.
Going to globstandard dot com is the way that you'll
find how to donate through various items we own directly,
(15:08):
or by mailing a check or by phoning telephoning the
old fashioned way.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, that's okay. There's still people who use telephone, Jess.
I'm one of them. As a matter of fact, I
need to.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Be one of the two right now.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, yeah, right, that's that's wonderful. Now. I hear whenever
I hear someone say organization. Did you grow up in
Canada or did you grow up in upstate New York?
Speaker 4 (15:28):
How did you know?
Speaker 1 (15:30):
What?
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Did I say?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Organiza? Organization?
Speaker 5 (15:34):
What would you say?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Organization?
Speaker 4 (15:37):
That is very subtle out but nobody's ever pointed that
out to me before. I've been here for years.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Whatever. No, no, no, my friend Harry Sindon used to
use the word organization. That's how I figured out it
was a Canadian, the former Bruins coach and general manager.
That's the way Canadians pronounce organization as opposed to organization.
I'm only having fun with you. I hope you know that, Linda.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
I'm just drug well, I'm very impressed, feel.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Done, try to try to make you comfortable here. So look,
this is a great cause. It's a very local cause.
It's been going on now, a local cause that reaches
two hundred and one communities. But uh, it's it's just
a great cause sixty nine years and so, folks, if
you have an opportunity Globe Santa dot com, you can
(16:22):
get all the information you need about either making a
donation or contributing gifts or you also said again, winter clothing,
and certainly with the temperatures of the last couple of days,
all of us have started to rummage through our closets
and try to find where all that winter clothing was
that we put away last spring. So you know it's
(16:43):
it's clothing in this neck of the woods as well
as in Canada is an important aspect of the holiday
season as well. That's correct.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
But I made a mistake, Globe forgive me. If Globesanta
dot org or as dot d no problem.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
See that's what's great about radio. We can make mistakes
and we can we can correct them. Globe Santa dot org.
I should have caught that anyway. But Globe Santa dot org,
uh and Linda, I wish you every success this year
delivering toys and books and games to local kids, kids
who might not otherwise find something under the tree that
(17:21):
Santa left for them. And and as a result of
your great efforts, a lot of children will wake up
with smiles on their faces on Christmas or or whatever
holiday the family may be celebrating. Linda, thanks so much.
I'm sorry that I stunned you with the with the organization, but.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
But that's I learned my news. I gotta be careful now.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
It's charming. It's absolutely charming. Linda, thanks very much for
your time today.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity. Much appreciated,
my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Thanks so much. Imagine the Boston Globe, Globe Santa Dot. Okay,
we have one more Santa theme to talk about, and
that is via Santa to a senior when we get
back right after the news at the bottom of the hour.
You're listening to Nightside on WBZ ten thirty and your
AM dial if you're sitting in a car somewhere buzzing
(18:17):
along anywhere east of the Mississippi River and had picked
us up, or if you have us on the internet.
This is WBC in Boston. We're ten thirty on the
AM dial, Boston's news radio. My name's Dan Ray, and
this is Nightside and we'll be back right after this
quick newscast on a couple of messages at the bottom
of the Hour.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Well, we talked a little earlier tonight about Giving Tuesday
and the day of the annual effort by Dana Farburn
the Jimmy Fund on to raise some money. We talked
last hour with the representative of the Globe Santa Lindam
matchin and now Christmas not only is good for children,
(19:02):
but it's also good for everyone, and maybe you'd like
to be a Santa to a Senior program helper. We're
talking with Kathy Butler. She's director of client care at
Home Instead in Waltham, Massachusetts. First of all, Kathy, welcome
to Nightside and tell us exactly what Home Instead is
in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Thank you, Hi, Dan, how are you.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
We're doing great, Kath, Thanks very much.
Speaker 6 (19:29):
Yeah, thanks for having me so be a Santer to
a Senior. I guess it started like twenty one years
ago where Home Instead is an international company and we
have about seventeen franchises alone in Massachusetts. I'm actually in Lexington,
but our owners own the Walfam office also.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Okay, so just like you.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
Said, yeah, all the programs for.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Kids, but we deal with the seniors because.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
Home instead provides care giver services to seniors in their home,
sometimes in assistant livings and just like the title says,
you could stay home instead and be safer and who
can help families versus being in nursing home or sometimes
assisted living And so a lot of times some of
(20:19):
our referrals have no seniors in our areas who are
isolated or don't have family nearby, or maybe not financially able.
So this program is great because we work with nonprofits
and gyms and stores and set up trees and their
(20:40):
customers or their clients take bulbs that the seniors' names
are on with something they wish for, and then we
collect the gifts and we actually go to nursing homes
and assistant livings and wrap the gifts with other seniors
and then deliver them to the appropriate Sometimes some of
(21:00):
the seniors the names come from council and agings or
nursing homes, some assisted livings as well.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
So so the procedure is that your clients are our
people who you serve throughout the year which allow them
to live independently, maybe in their own home or maybe
in an assisted living facility. But some of them, uh
maybe don't have a lot of family in the area,
(21:31):
and for them, Christmas or for that matter, I guess
Honaker or whatever other homely they celebrate might might not
be what it is for many people, and maybe they
don't have they're not surrounded by family and friends. Those
are the folks who I assume you're focusing.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
On correct exactly, yes, and.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
Oftentimes, like for for Lexington, we have trees where we
put the bulbs and people take it at Winchester Savings
Bang People Fit, which is a senior gym in Wooburn
Uville Place and it's an assisted living in Lexington, and
then Rockland Trust and Waltham and Waltham at the Athletic clubs.
(22:15):
So the trees are set up there and we we
decorate them. We put them up and then we put
these paper bulbs on them that have the seniors' names,
just their first names and last name, and like if
they want a sweater or if they want slippers or
they some some of the masks for radios and CD players.
I'm not sure if those are still out there.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Okay, so well, yeah, their radios still work, trust me, am.
Radios and all that I don't know about. But radios work.
We're talking on a lot of radios right now. Will
you realize that they're not Kathy so uh so these
so individuals who are interested. I hope you have a
website where folks they have to physically go to one
(22:58):
of these locations to get a name, uh and the
the requested gift.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Correct, Yes, yes, they so.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
I just want to walk them through it. If someone's
interested here, what is the website is? You know you
can you can run the names of those locations again,
but no one's going to write them down. I'd rather
just have you give me a website. I assume those locations,
the different banks and and gyms, et cetera, where these
trees are uh in the in the Metro West area. Uh,
(23:31):
they must be listed, I assume on your.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
Website right, Yes, And and you can go to home
instead dot com and you can plug in the Lexington office,
or you could do Lexington home instead dot com Mass,
or you could do wallfam and you could see on
there there's a section via Santa Bostaus that that says
(23:54):
where the trees are set up. And also it's for
it's for people. We work with a lot of counsel
and agents that identify scews to us too, and oftentimes
they reach out and look at the website and get
in touch with us if they want SoRs to get
gifts as well.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Okay, so the again, I'm just trying to I'm very
very concrete. Okay, I'm not I'm not good at abstractions. So,
people who want to participate and and help uplift someone's
holiday season, do you list on the website, you know,
(24:34):
the names of the individual. You know, Mary wants a
pair of slippers, or you know, Joe is looking for
a new pickleball paddle or something, or do you Yeah,
they physically have to go to one of these locations
and to be able to look at the tree, I assume,
and then pick the name of the person and the
gift that they would could most easily get. Is that
(24:54):
the way it works.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
Exactly the latter. So, yeah, we don't have all the
names listed on our websites, but it tells them, It
tells anybody that looks at the website how the program works.
And sometimes if the trees aren't listed, it's got our
phone number and they could call us as well. And
a lot of times that triggers you know, people wanting
(25:19):
to know more about our services home instead and you
know how we can help them. We actually get a
lot of calls during the holidays when people are together
and realizing that their mom or dad or their loved
one is not doing as well as they thought they were,
you know, at home, and that's what they want to
stay at home and as well as we support the
(25:41):
families too.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
But just coming back to this program. So the individual
who's interested in bringing some joy and happiness to a
senior citizen, we're all going to be there at some
time if we live long enough. They get the name
and they know what the gift is. So they go
out and they buy the gift. Let's say, if they
(26:03):
look and someone's looking for pir of slippers or a
bathroom or whatever, and then they do they wrap it
and bring it back to the to the home instead office.
What after they buy the gift, what's their responsibility?
Speaker 6 (26:19):
So they take the ball, they buy the gift, like
let's say that it's for Mary, a senior, and so
she wants a woman's size small sweater. So they'll go
buy the gift and they don't wrap it.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
They just put the ball.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
They take the bulb of the paper ball back on
the gift and they bring it back to wherever whatever
tree they got like Winchester Savings Bank or oh okay,
there's a box there, or they put it under the tree.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
And then we collect them and we're the ones are
the office or volunteers or like I said, I do
wrapping parties at local assistant livings, and we wrap the gift,
put the ball back on and deliver it back to
wherever that came from, like a council and aging at
that's where the senior name came from.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Okay. So so basically there's a lot of the work
involved in terms of the wrapping the gift and delivering
the gift. The person never sees, never meets the senior
for whom they purchased the gift, but they know in
their heart that on that morning of Christmas or Hanka
or Kwanza or whatever it is, uh, there will be
a gift delivered uh to that senior uh and and
(27:27):
and it'll warm their heart a little bit. So that's
a great program. That's a great program. Yeah, I'm sorry
if I if I struggled with the details, but I
like to make sure people understand what's involved. So it's
pretty simple. You just go to one of the locations
that are listed at I assume your website is home
instead dot com. Is that correct? Yes, just a wild
(27:48):
guest there, Cally. I want you to know a good thing.
I got it right. And and then so they go
to a location that they're familiar with, they they they
identify the gift they want to buy for the senior,
they buy it, they bring it back to that same location.
So it's it's it's it's pretty easy for anyone who
wants to make this Christmas a little more special, this
(28:10):
holiday season, a little more special for someone who may
not have the family support that a lot of people have. So, Kathy,
thanks very much for explaining it. I know I probably
asked more questions than I have a right to, but
I want to make sure my audience understands what they
can do and how much how simple some of these
these efforts can be.
Speaker 6 (28:31):
Yeah, no, absolutely, I appreciate that. And we get a
lot of thank you from the seniors that receive the gifts,
and we usually bring them to the places that host
of the trees. So it is a really nice, good
feel kind of situation.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
For seniors.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
That's great.
Speaker 5 (28:48):
We really appreciate the support.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Sounds great, Kathy, Thank you very much. Again, home Instead
dot Com you can buy I can purchase a gift
for a senior that may may really we make this
this season special for someone who otherwise might not be special.
Thanks so much, Kathy. We appreciate your time tonight.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Okay, thanks Dan, Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Merry Christmas to you as well. Thank you. When we
get back, when we talk about Billy Bush. No, not
that Billy Bush from the tape with Donald Trump. Billy Bush,
who's member of the Bush dynasty, founder of the of
the Bush Family Brewing and Distilling Company. He's an heir
to the iconic Anheuser Bush legacy and an author. And
(29:34):
I think he's gonna have some very interesting things to
say about the family of which he's still a member
as far as I understand it. We'll talk with Billy
Bush right after the break here on night Side.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
Nightside Studios on w b Z, the news Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Delighted to welcome to the program. Billy Bush, as I
mentioned earlier, not the Billy Bush on the bus with
Donald Trump. A different Billy Bush. Billy Bush Bush has
written a book called Family Reigns, the extraordinary rise and
epic Fall of an American dynasty, and we're talking Bush beer.
(30:15):
Billy Bush, Welcome to Nightside. How are you.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
I'm doing great. Thank you for having me on.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
You're very welcome. This is the story of that iconic
Anheuser Busch dynasty, written for the first time by a
Bush Air. This is not a complimentary book about your family,
it would appear tell us about it.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
Well, I wouldn't say it's not a complimentary book. I'm
very proud of my family and for what the family
has accomplished over many generations, keeping a company, a business
in the family for five generations, six Bush leaders, and become,
you know, revolutionizing the beer industry the way Anheuser Bush did.
(30:58):
I think it's a great accomplish and I think I'm
very proud of that, and and I'm proud of the
fact that my family, we're all wonderful American patriots, hard workers.
They believed in this country. They believe that hard work
and determination and innovation would get them somewhere. And that's
why my great grandfather immigrated from Germany in the first place.
(31:21):
To live the American dream. And you know, and that's
what we received, and the whole family is much better
off for it. And you know, financially, there's no doubt
about it. Now, is it all a storybook growing up
in a family like us, No, it's not. And it
could be. It could be difficult, It can be challenging.
Sometimes business and family were indistinguishable. So it was almost
(31:47):
like when I was raised that I was raised by
a I was an employee, if you will, and and
that's just the way it was. But that was part
of growing up in the family. And I don't regret it.
I don't treat my kids of Christy and I my
wife and I have seven kids.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
And we raised you got a big, big family, a
big brood billy.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
We sure do, we sure do. And uh, you know,
my mom and dad had seven kids. I don't know.
Seven is heaven, I guess. But yeah, now we have
seven kids and it's pretty amazing. And I actually have
the two grandkids with us right now. My kids, my
son and his wife from California, they're living out there
in California now and they're here. So, you know, big
(32:34):
families are amazing, and you know, the thing is growing
up the way I did. Uh, it was the family
and the business for pretty much the same thing. We
represented Annazer Bush, We worked, our home was opened up
to the public, uh, to market the products at Annazer
Busch Bludweiser, namely. And that's just you know, the way
(32:57):
life was.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
And so let me bill me, let me jump in
for a couple of questions. This I find this fascinating.
So you know Budwiser beer Anheiser Busch, which everybody knows.
I mean, the Saint Louis Cardinals used to be owned
by Anheuser Bush. If I'm not mistaken, it was Bush
Stadium for a long time. I mean, so you you
(33:19):
you always been the beer has always been identified with baseball, correct.
Speaker 5 (33:24):
Well, that's that's correct. My dad bought the Saint Louis
Cardinals back in nineteen fifty three, and that's what gave
me the inspiration to open up our home, Grants Farm,
to the public because he invited the baseball Cardinal team
out to Grant's farm. And one of the wives actually
was Red Shandy. He's a great second baseman who played
for the Cardinals.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
And became became the manager of the Cardinals as well,
if I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
That's correct. And he was the he was His wife
was the inspiration to open up a grands farm for
my dad. She said, you should open this place up
to the public, and you know that gave him the
idea and he opened it up.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Yeah, you got you. You guys had you broke broke
the Red Sox Hearts in nineteen sixty seven, you know,
Bob Gibson and uh uh and Roger Marrish you know,
was in right field after a great career in the
American League with the Cardinals, and you had you had
Ken Boyer at third base. Those are the teams that
(34:23):
I grew up with. And of course before that stand
usual and I mean that's that's that's a big part
of the legacy of the Bush family. Now, Budweiser is
no longer owned by the family. I believe it's now
a Belgian company.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Correct, that's correct. It's a Belgian run by Brazilians and
it's called in BEV. Well, it's annaser Busch in BEV actually,
so they bought the company back in two thousand and eight.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Yeah, uh, and I wish the Bush family still owned it,
to be really honest with you. I mean, you know,
I have contributed more than a few beers to the
legacy of the family over the years as well as
you know, following baseball pretty closely. Is everybody okay in
(35:15):
the family at this point? Whenever you have a big,
successful family, this oftentimes, as we've found with you know,
presidential families to think of, you know, the Carters or
the Reagans have had, you know, children who kind of
go off and do their own thing. Has the family
stayed pretty much together? You know, everybody thinks, well, you're rich,
(35:36):
so everything's fine, But that doesn't necessarily always work that way,
if you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Yeah, no, it doesn't always work that way. And unfortunately
we haven't. A lot of us haven't stayed very close.
We had kind of falling out over our home that
we grew up on Grant's Farm, which my great which
my grandfather bought back at the turn of the twentieth century,
and he bought it because you listen to us, Grant
built house right there on Grant's farm, which still stands today. Again,
(36:04):
it's the place that my father opened to the public.
And we had a big kind of falling out over
Grant's farm and where it was going to go, how
it was going to end up, and so, you know,
we're all kind of separated at this point. We don't
a lot of us don't talk to each other, but
you know, I will say, and I'm very thankful. Everybody
(36:26):
seems healthy, everybody's happy, everybody has families, and so everybody's
doing their own thing.
Speaker 6 (36:32):
Do we do this the beer business?
Speaker 5 (36:33):
I'm actually I am actually continuing the beer business, the
beer tradition with my family. We have a small craft
brewery out on our farm in Saint Charles, Missouri, where
people come out and they enjoy the farm and the
beauty around the farm and animals there, and they drink
the beer that we make right there on the farm.
We also are putting into distillery. We have our own
(36:56):
whiskey out there, and you know, great, what's the.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Name of the what's the name of the craft beer?
We may have some beer aficionados.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
Darn right, well, the it's it's called Bush Family Brewing
into silling. And the beer we make, we make the
Adolphice Pilsner, which is a wonderful German pills Ar pilsner.
We make the the Gussy Bavarian locker, which is the Hell.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Of Fear all family names. I love that.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
That's correct, that's correct. But really the only place right
now you can get it is right there from the
from the farm itself. We're thinking about this, going back
to distribution. We also make a great beer that we
did have in distribution for a long time, never out
in Boston, but in in Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Kansas, and Wisconsin.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
We have a lot of beer in New England. So
don't don't forget us, Bill, if you if you spread
out a little bit. Look, the book is called Family Reigns,
The Extraordinary Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty. Uh,
it's out, it's available, And if you have an interest
in things dealing with Bush Beer, Anheuser Busch, Saint Louis Cardinals,
(38:05):
I think it's a great great uh, a great read. Uh.
And I'll just leave you with two words. Dal Maxville,
probably hessenl Maxville. What a great but a great second basement.
Speaker 5 (38:18):
And you all got to keep the New England Patriots.
I know my cousin, Jimmy Orthwine bought the team way
back when and he was thinking.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
About d.
Speaker 5 (38:29):
You talking about moving Tom to Saint Louis in August.
My brother told him if he moves them to Saint Louis,
he would he would basically be fired from the company
because he was on the board at anazer Bush, because
Boston threatened to boycout annazer Bush and not anyway.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
I remember that I have a great friend of mine
from Boss from the Hodtiston area, Mark Sweeney, who played
with the Cardinals, came up with the Cardinals and in
the nineteen nineties and National League outfield. A great family
here in New England. So we got I don't know
if you know, market, all these great guys now one
of your broadcasters for the Cardinals, to believe it or not.
(39:04):
So it's a small world. Thank you much for John.
Theyver get to Boston. We'll talk to you in person.
Speaker 5 (39:10):
Okay, that'd be amazing. Thank you very much for having
me on. Take care and Merry Christmas to all you
in Boston.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Merry Christmas to the Bush family. That's for sure. All right.
We are gonna talk when we come back about the
car industry with another very important individual, Ernie Bach. Ernie
Bark Junior will join us talking about Trump taxes and tariffs.
Coming back right after the nine o'clock news here on
a Monday night, December second,
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