Nine residents from Everett will participate in the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai on Sunday, October 1.
Carmen Lucerna, Sheila Irizarry, Teresa MacDonald, Donna Capozzi, Stephanie Lafontaine, Marlene Martinez, Anthony Castellano, Emma Voligny, and Jacqueline St. Germain, along with thousands of other walkers, will participate in the iconic annual event that will unite the community to raise funds to support all forms of adult and pediatric care and cancer research at the nation’s premier cancer center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $167 million for Dana-Farber Cancer in its 34-year history, raising a record-breaking more than $8.8 million in 2022.
Stephanie Lafontaine will participate as a Walk Hero for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. Heroes are matched with Jimmy Fund Walk teams to give participants an opportunity to connect with patients. Stephanie was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. Stephanie walks on her match team, Team IBC.
“I’m here and healthy today because of the incredible care I received at Dana-Farber, and especially the inflammatory breast cancer team,” Stephanie writes. “Thanks to this dedicated team and research funded by the Jimmy Fund, I am able to continue my passion for scuba diving, travel, and underwater photography.”
“Throughout the past 34 years, the Jimmy Fund Walk has continuously supported life-saving research and cancer care at Dana-Farber. The 2023 Walk will be held during the Jimmy Fund’s 75th anniversary year and will aim to raise $9 million in the effort to prevent, treat, and defy cancer,” said Zack Blackburn, Director of the Jimmy Fund Walk. “This year also marks the 35th annual Jimmy Fund Walk. We are eager to get out on the course and see all our outstanding walkers and teams come together to support this great cause.”
The Jimmy Fund Walk is the only organized walk permitted on the famed Boston Marathon® course, and participants have the flexibility to choose from four distance options: 5K walk (from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Longwood Medical Campus), 10K walk (from Newton), Half Marathon walk (from Wellesley), and Marathon walk (from Hopkinton).
Whatever route walkers choose, participants will be treated to 10 refueling stations as well as poster-sized photographs of patients – Jimmy Fund Walk Heroes – displayed at each mile and half-mile marker as inspiration. All four routes of the Jimmy Fund Walk will culminate at the Jimmy Fund Walk Finish Line Powered by Schneider Electric. Due to construction in Copley Square, the Jimmy Fund Walk Finish Line location has been moved to the Fenway neighborhood for 2023. Walkers should know that distances may be slightly shorter as we finish the walk in front of Fenway Park. The finish line will include a celebration complete with food, music, and a speaking program.
If walkers wish to participate a bit closer to home, the Jimmy Fund Walk has flexible opportunities. Participants can also join the event virtually by “walking their way” from wherever they are most comfortable—in their neighborhood, on a favorite hiking trail, or on a treadmill at home. Materials to support Virtual Walkers are available.
To register to walk or volunteer at the Jimmy Fund Walk, (#JimmyFundWalk) or to support a walker, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255. Registrants can enter the promo code NEWS for $5 off the registration fee. All registered walkers will receive a bib, medal, and a Jimmy Fund Walk T-shirt.
About the Jimmy Fund The Jimmy Fund, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children’s Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.