A strong foundation

The foundation created by former Pats lineman Joe Andruzzi and his wife, Jen, threw a festive fund-raiser last night at Cristina's in Foxborough. A cancer survivor, Andruzzi is raising serious dough for cancer research. The guest list included current and former Pats players Steve Grogan, Andre Tippett, Larry Izzo, Dan Koppen, and Mike Vrabel.

A rush with the Bruins

Jimmy Atherton, a 19-year-old from Lebanon, Maine, had an action-packed day at the Garden Saturday. The uber-fan, who was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma this summer, got the major hook-up through Maurice Plourde, Bruins flight coordinator and friend of the family. Atherton got to watch the morning skate and meet the team (including faves Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron), as well as wear Aaron Ward's Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup ring. Bruins Hall of Famer Johnny Bucyk also gave him a poster signed by alums, and Bruins Foundation development director Bob Sweeney kicked in free game tickets for the fam. The Bruins even delivered a crushing win against the Detroit Red Wings. "It was awesome," Atherton said. "Meeting the players was so cool, they didn't just sign autographs, they actually had conversations." Chatting with tough guy Lucic was a highlight, he said. "When I shook his hand, his knuckles were like tennis rackets . . . all bruised and swollen."

Kate Bosworth has revealed something rather odd to the UK edition of Marie Claire. Apparently, the Cohasset star prefers her canine companion Lila to, uh, men. Boyfriend James Rousseau was a little weirded out by sharing the bed with her dog at first, but has since gotten over it, she said. "I love my dog," Bosworth told the mag. "I grew up with the dogs sleeping in the bed. My boyfriend found that odd the first few times he stayed over. The dog will stay in the bed before the man will." Ouch!

"Survivor: Africa" winner Ethan Zohn finished his 550-mile soccer dribble from Boston to Washington, D.C., on World AIDS Day yesterday, raising $150,000 for Grassroot Soccer United, which he helped found to fight AIDS and HIV in Africa. Unfortunately, the Lexington native tore his anterior cruciate ligament a month ago, leaving the second half of the marathon dribble to supporters. DC United midfielder Ben Olsen and Washington Freedom's Rebecca Moros helped Zohn complete the final lap around the National Mall.

Birmingham public relations owner Lauren Birmingham and her mom, Marie Lucia, are psyched that their Boston-based Cooking Vacations are getting a little press love. The Italian culinary and cooking trips were named best cultural food trip in Esquire's Big Black Book 2008 and also named one of "The 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life" by National Geographic.

Rod Lurie, who directs Kate Beckinsale in the new movie "Nothing But the Truth," says the actress's beauty could be an obstacle. "She's too good looking to play Ava Gardner," Lurie laughed yesterday. "Sometimes, you have to apply makeup to make it look like she isn't wearing makeup." In the film, which screens tomorrow at Brandeis, Beckinsale plays a journalist who outs a CIA agent and then spends a year in jail rather than revealing her source. If that sounds familiar, it should. Her character is loosely based on former New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who was locked up for 85 days during the Valerie Plame affair. "I did meet with her, but not to copy her mannerisms," said Beckinsale, who's coming to Brandeis with costar Alan Alda. The actress said she also shadowed a few female staffers at the LA Times, and gained newfound respect for their profession. "As an actress, I was slightly prejudiced because I've fallen on the journalist's sword a few times," she told us. "But being with them, I felt similar pressures - to pick up and disappear and not be in touch with family for a while." Alda, whose character is modeled on famed First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams, said Beckinsale is terrific and the film is timely. "Having a vote is important, but it's no good if you don't know what you're voting about," he said. "The only way is with a free press."

So much for shock jocks Opie & Anthony. The dubious duo have been dropped by WBCN. "Nice way to save money, morons," Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia wrote on their website yesterday. "I'm sure this will really help get the station's ratings up." For its part, the station didn't explain the shake-up, which included moving afternoon hosts Toucher and Rich to mornings and Hardy to afternoon drive. "Opie and Anthony have been such a valued part of WBCN's heritage, we only wish them the best," 'BCN marketing man Cha-Chi Loprete wrote in an e-mail.

"Tricks of a Woman," the indie flick featuring Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore that filmed around Boston last summer, will have its world premiere Thursday at the Monaco International Film Festival. The film, costarring Madonna's ex, Carlos Leon; Natasha Lyonne; Scott Elrod; and Boston actress Elika Portnoy, was directed by Todd Norwood. We're told Portnoy, who's also the executive producer, will join Elrod and Leon at the opening-night reception, and Prince Albert is rumored to be attending.

The Boston Center for the Arts has chosen a native New Yorker as its new leader. "I keep telling people, I'm a Mets fan," Veronique LeMelle told us yesterday. "I'm not a Yankees fan." LeMelle, who has a masters in public policy from Columbia and an MFA in performing arts administration from Brooklyn College, comes to Boston from the bayou, where she's been executive director of the Louisiana Division of the Arts. Asked about the poor economy and its effect on arts funding, LeMelle was remarkably rosy. "I've been director of arts organizations during economic down times. You look at what the needs are and what are extras," she said. "You take a deep breath and do it."

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.