BOSTON, Massachusetts — Maine knows Patrick Dempsey well as both an actor on screen and as the founder of the Dempsey Center in Lewiston; a place for families facing a cancer diagnosis. Something new for Patrick though is producing. He’s behind a new film, “The Art Of Racing In The Rain,” which hits theaters on Friday.
On Tuesday night he held a Hollywood-like film premiere on Boston’s waterfront, inviting friends, family, and those who are a part of the Dempsey Center in Maine. Part of it was to have fun; the rest was to raise money for and more awareness of the Dempsey Center.
The movie is told through the eyes of Enzo, a dog, as his humans experience life, and the challenges that come along with it. "Enzo’s perspective on the world is something we all need to remember and practice on a daily basis," said Dempsey, who worked to make the novel into this movie for more than 10 years. "It's remarkable to finally have an ending."
When Patrick Dempsey and his sisters started the Dempsey Center in Lewiston they knew it would be a lot of work, but they have passion, which also drives them to expand the reach of the center - which was the driving force behind hosting the film premier in Boston.
As a successful actor, producer, and race car driver himself, Dempsey says the work of the Dempsey Center has become his mission in life, "The work is fulfilling, you see the immediate impact. There was a woman who came in who was very nervous and worried about nutrition and by the end of the visit she came out having something to do and a better understanding, and that empowered her. That’s what we try to do and that’s what life is about: giving back. With that attitude you can change the world."
The Dempsey Challenge is one of the biggest fundraisers for the Center and is happening in September. For more information, click here.