Partner Program
The Partner Program is a cornerstone of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. The program features both the Patient Partner Program, which pairs runners with children currently at the Jimmy Fund Clinic, and the In-Memory Program, through which team members run in memory of young patients who are forever in our hearts. Participants and their paired runners enjoy a series of events prior to Marathon Weekend. The program culminates on Marathon Monday as runners reach the Mile 25 mark in Boston and are greeted by heartfelt cheers, hugs, and high fives to reenergize them for the remaining mile.
Program Details and Events
MATCH PARTY
Runners get together with their Patient Partners and their families at this funfest featuring bowling and arcade games.
IN-MEMORY DINNER
An evening to celebrate the lives of young patients no longer with us, the In-Memory Dinner gathers runners and the families of their In-Memory partners.
MARATHON WEEKEND
Patient Partners, In-Memory families and runners come together to kick off the weekend at the annual Pasta Party. The next day, partners head to Mile 25 in Kenmore Square to cheer on their runners!
How to Apply
Deepen your connection with our mission and apply to be matched in the Partner Program. The application is available to accepted team members each fall in the My Tools section of your Participant Center. Those selected will be notified by early winter.
PATIENT STORY
"We never expected such an amazing relationship to develop between our son, Hugh, and his runner, Aaron. Aaron accompanied Hugh on occasional visits to the Jimmy Fund Clinic, making the days easier as they played video games together. Aaron would come spend time playing baseball, or coloring if Hugh was too sick to play. He became part of our family.
For anyone thinking of being a part of the Partner Program, I urge you to do so. You never know where it may lead, or how much it can mean to a child going through treatment."
- Mahala, Hugh’s mom
