Trick-or-Treatable Cancer

Today, Halloween, marked my first fundraiser for Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge! My roommate and I dressed up as runners; I wore my DFMC singlet and bib number from last year's DFMC and Kay wore her B.A.A. number and my reflective vest. We went door-to-door in our neighborhood and collected contributions in lieu of Halloween candy. Last year, I gave out letters on Halloween and found them rather unsuccessful. This year, however, was a totally different story! We raised $148.00 for innovative cancer research!

Our neighbors opened their doors and their wallets to a variety of charities this year. UNICEF was most popular and we found that many houses were prepared with a bowl of candy and a separate bowl of quarters. I was concerned that people would think that we're too old to be soliciting funds on Halloween, but there were many other adults dressed as skunks, cowboys, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, etc....

To make a long story short, we came home after trick-or-treating for two hours with purple and black spider rings, apples, candy and a whole lot of cash! I also met two people who work for Dana-Farber, a doctor and another gentleman from IT. Lastly, I was impressed by the sheer number of children in our neighborhood! One particular street was blocked off tonight, and a donor reported that they receive almost 1,000 trick-or-treaters on an annual basis!

Halloween has never been a popular holiday in my family for a variety of reasons, but I've come to the conclusion that the holiday isn't entirely "bad" afterall!