First Timers Meeting

The First Timers Meeting was held at the Mount Auburn Club in Watertown, Massachusetts. This was a chance to meet almost one hundred other first time marathoners for Dana-Farber. We went for a scenic, four mile run along the Charles River and were treated to a feast of bagels, fresh fruit, and yoghurt. I ran with Sarah, Hillary, and Keegan most of the way, but finished the workout with Jenny and Molly. Jenny is running in memory of a classmate who died some years ago, and Molly is running in support of a six year old relative who is currently being treated at Dana-Farber.

We broke into small groups during the speaking program for brief introductions. We were each asked a series of questions, and I actually learned a lot about a few of my teammates. One woman is running in memory of her aunt. She likened her aunt to "her sister, her mother, and her best friend. " Another woman and fellow figure skater is running because she "knows too many people who have died from cancer," and she rattled off a list of friends and family members who will forever be in her memory. I met Chris, who used to work as the Assistant Director of Special Events at Dana-Farber. He has since taken a job in marketing and sponsorships at New Balance, but he's running for reasons similar to mine.

I'm running for Dana-Farber in an attempt to connect to its mission on a deeper level. I am extremely lucky to be able to report that I don't have any close family or friends who have died from cancer. My Aunt Joan survived breast cancer, but she maintained such a great attitude throughout her treatment. I remember she asked me if I thought her hair would grow back the same color because was hoping to be a redhead! Patti Cutting is another breast cancer survivor. She's a wonderful skating coach at the Lake Avenue arena in Worcester, Massachusetts. She's been a long time mentor and a major inspiration in my life. I hope to be able to connect with her over the holidays.

It can be difficult to fully comprehend the magnitude of Dana-Farber's mission from my office in Brookline. Since we're not located at the Institute, we do not interact with the patients and doctors on a regular basis. It's partially for this reason that I decided to attend Dana-Farber events. Last year, I assisted the Dana-Farber marathoners back to their hotel, and so many of them opened up to me after their run. I spoke to cancer survivors who didn't know if they'd be able to finish the marathon. Some individuals were extremely emotional after crossing the finish line because their run was a tribute to a Dana-Farber patient who is no longer with them. The multiple walks from the finish line to the hotel was a motivational experience, and I can't wait to represent Dana-Farber and its mission on April 21, 2008!

After we got to know a few of our teammates at the First Timers Meeting, we heard from Jack Fultz, 1976 Marathon Champion. He's the DFMC coach, and he offered a wealth of information on everything from crosstraining to clothing to injuries. He's a tremendous asset to our team! We also heard from the DFMC fundraising coaches and Jan Ross. One of my teammates asked an event compliance-related question, so Jan introduced me to the team as an expert in event compliance matters.

We concluded the meeting by signing a banner for a little girl named Lia who is currently battling cancer. She's about to go in for her second transplant. My fundraising goal of ten thousand dollars doesn't seem like very much in the grand scheme of cancer research, but it might help to keep Lia and others alive.