Happy almost Thanksgiving!
It’s the beginning of a hectic time of year, with winter knocking at
doors across the country and snow literally knocking straight through some
doors in upstate New York! I’ll certainly
be grateful we don’t have 60” of snow on the ground next week as we sit down to
celebrate (knock on wood). Before the
chaos really kicks in, I’m writing to ask for your support of a cause that is
incredibly important to me and to my family..
Thanksgiving is the time of year when I begin the training
season for the Boston Marathon, and this year will mark my seventh year with
the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, and I'm more determined than ever before. As in years past, this year has not been one
without more cancer diagnoses among friends and loss of too many lives to this
disease. There have been advances and new effective treatments, but the work is
far from complete. I am honored to again be a member of this team, and I run alongside
so many others whose lives have also been impacted by cancer. Many of my teammates are survivors and some
even current patients themselves. Most run
for family members or friends. Others
because curing cancer is their job and this is just another way to help advance
the cause. Whatever the motivation, the
end goal is the same. We run to provide
incredibly gifted scientists the opportunity to make amazing advances in
diverse areas of cancer research.
My primary motivation for running is my family. I run in memory of my three siblings, Molly,
Mary, And I run for the rest of my family who have
been forever altered as a result. Every day I miss Molly, Mary and John. Every single day there’s a moment when I
would have laughed with John about the ridiculous notion that we’d have a dog
or commiserated with Molly about raising a teenager or joked with Mary about
the ridiculous reality TV “personality” filling up the news. I expected to have these moments with them:
the summers at the beach, the Christmas holidays, the graduations and text
messages and email jokes. While that
void cannot be filled, it is lessened by knowing that I work to change the
future of cancer in their memories.
The funds raised by the DFMC team support research at the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the top cancer centers in the county. Every cent of your gift – a full 100 percent- goes directly to funding research through the Claudia Barr Program in Innovative Basic
Cancer Research at Dana-Farber, widely recognized as one of the most
successful programs of its kind. Based
on a rigorous and highly selective process, the Barr Program funds the
brightest scientists making basic research discoveries that are transforming
cancer treatment. This incredible work
is resulting in improved survival rates and quality of life for thousands of
patients everywhere, and your support will go directly to continue this
mission.
My personal goal this year is $1,000 per mile of a marathon
($26,200) and I would be incredibly grateful for your support. Making an online gift is quick, safe and easy.
You can visit my webpage at http://www.runDFMC.org/2015/
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Each of the past six years, the backing that has been shown for
my participation on the DFMC team has just remarkable, and I send my sincerest
gratitude for your kindness and generosity to help me reach my goal. It’s
difficult to write to you year after year, but the goal remains the same: find a cure for cancer. I continue to be thankful for this opportunity
to be a part of this group that is leading the charge. Your support means a great deal to our entire
family.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Be good. Be strong.
With gratitude,
Jennie
