Dedham Residents Running Boston Marathon for Dana-Farber

From the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute:

BOSTON – On April 17, Dedham residents are running to conquer cancer as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team in the 121st Boston Marathon. Residents include:

• Nicole Girard
• Eric Girard
• Margot Hayes

Along with more than 500 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge teammates from across the United States and around the world, they will run Massachusetts’ historic marathon route from Hopkinton to Boston to collectively raise $5 million for cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

This year marks the 28th annual running of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) team. One hundred percent of the money raised by the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge goes to Dana-Farber’s Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research, which supports promising scientific research in its earliest stages. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge has raised more than $80 million for the Barr Program to date.

In 1990, Dana-Farber was among the first charity organizations to be recognized by the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A), which organizes the Boston Marathon. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team offers its members extensive fundraising support, training guidance from 1976 Boston Marathon men’s champion Jack Fultz, and team training runs, plus volunteer opportunities for non-runners. Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runners who are not time-qualified for the Boston Marathon receive an invitational entry into the race.

Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runners include cancer survivors and patients, and family and friends of those who have been affected by cancer. Each team member must fulfill a basic fundraising commitment:

• Invitational runners receive their entry from Dana-Farber and have a fundraising commitment of $5,000.
• Own entry runners join the DFMC team after obtaining their own race entry and have a fundraising commitment of $4,000.

A cornerstone of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge is its Partner Program. Each year, approximately 50 current and former pediatric cancer patients of Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic are paired with DFMC runners as “Patient Partners.” For the young patients, their partnerships with the runners provide a unique and friendly focus outside their illnesses. Another two dozen Patient Partner Program families are paired with runners through the “In-Memory Program” in remembrance of their children’s brave struggle with the disease.

To contribute to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge or support a runner, visit RunDFMC.org or contact the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge office at (617) 632-1970 or [email protected]. Follow DFMC on Facebook:www.facebook/marathonchallenge. On Twitter: #RunDFMC

Image: File Photo