This April, hundreds of Dana-Farber runners will take to the streets to participate in the 129th Boston Marathon®. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team runs and raises funds with thousands of special people in mind. From Hopkinton to Boston, we carry thoughts of those people every step of the way.
Way back when I was in high school, I attended a Patriot’s Day Red Sox game with my friend Jeff, then walked over to Boylston Street to watch the finish of the Boston Marathon. In that moment, I felt I needed to do it someday. I started training for a marathon while in college, but injuries derailed that. As the years went by, it no longer seemed possible.
After a gap of many years, I started running again in 2017. I ran several shorter races, along with a couple of half marathons. In April 2024, I ran my first marathon, in Newport. That could have been the end of it, but this opportunity to run for a great cause has now made Boston possible.
I lost my father, Marvin, to cancer back in 2000 and still miss him every day. Then in 2020, we lost my father-in-law, Dale, after a long battle with cancer. After being diagnosed with cancer, my brother, Larry, had surgery to remove it and appears to be cancer-free today. And, now my son, Andrew, is battling cancer, having gone through chemo, radiation, and three surgeries over the last couple of years. The work done at Dana-Farber is so important in the efforts to treat and irradicate cancer.
I have set a goal of $15,000. With your generosity, we can go far beyond that level and help make a difference in this critical fight.
One hundred percent of every dollar raised by the DFMC team supports the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. These funds are fueling some of today's most promising basic cancer research.
Thank you for your support! Together, we're headed toward the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.
As I write this, I realize that I have several more friends and family members who have been hurt by this horrible disease. The same is most likely true for you as well, so let us all do what we can to fund the research needed to beat it.
