Boxer Micky Ward with comic Joe Conklin at the Claddagh Fund event. Photo by Brian Mengini.
Some of the things I learned at The Claddagh Fund’s first annual fundraiser, the Celebrity Rock ‘N Bowl held Monday night, November 28, at North Bowl on Second Street in Philadelphia:
Members of the Flyers NHL team are younger than my son. Some are so young that they can’t drink adult beverages.
Boxer “Irish” Micky Ward, whose comeback was chronicled in the Mark Wahlberg’s critically acclaimed film, “The Fighter,” is a wee man, unlike Wahlberg who played him on screen. He also doesn’t like bad language. No trash talking from Micky’s side of the ring.
Actor Kevin Chapman, who has played an Irish mob boss (“The Brotherhood”), an Irish fireman (“Rescue Me,” and “Ladder 49”), an Irish cop (in “Street Kings 2,” and “Black Irish” ) and now stars as an Italian police detective in the hit series, “Person of Interest,” isn’t Irish or Italian. “I’m actually French Canadian, though I could be Irish because my father was about eight different things,” he told me. He’s also the former film commissioner from Boston who was discovered on the job by the late director Jonathan Demme.
Philly people are really generous.
Okay, I knew about that last one. One Monday night, the lanes were filled with bowlers who paid plenty to play with one of the celebs, including Flyers players Matt Read, Zak Rinaldo, Jody Shelley, Harry Zolniercayk, and Ian Lapierriere; former Phillies relief pitcher Ricky Bottallico, now a Phillies analyst for Comcast; Chapman, Ward, and Ken Casey, founder of The Claddagh Fund and the Boston-based rock group, Dropkick Murphys.
A signed Flyers jersey went for $1,000 and one Philly local ponyed up for tickets to see the Red Sox in Boston. The Red Sox? Now, that’s generous.
The Claddagh Fund was founded by Casey and has raised more than $1 million for under-funded charities in the Boston area. It recently opened a branch in Philadelphia where its first beneficiary is Stand Up for Kids, a local organization that does outreach with homeless and street kids.
Since you may not have been able to be there, here are some photos from the event for your viewing pleasure.
