This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Braintree's Noelle Lam is a Walk Hero for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk

Noelle Lam, 2, of Braintree, has been named a Walk Hero for the 2014 Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai.

Slated for Sunday, Sept. 21, the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, a one-day fundraising event that raises the most money of any single-day walk in the nation, aims to raise more than $7.5 million in 2014. This year’s event will bring the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk’s 26-year fundraising total to more than $100 million.

As a Walk Hero, Noelle will inspire an expected 8,500 participants, who will walk up to 26.2 miles along the historic Boston Marathon® route to raise money for the Jimmy Fund for lifesaving adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Find out what's happening in Braintreewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Noelle was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2013 and is being treated at Dana-Farber.

The Walk Hero Program matches Dana-Farber patients with Walk teams, providing an inspiring opportunity for walkers to connect with patients. The Walk Heroes often become a part of a large group of people committed to fighting the disease for which they are being treated. The walkers and Hero families form long-lasting friendships that extend beyond the Walk. Noelle is matched with DFCI Finance.

Find out what's happening in Braintreewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On event day, Heroes and their families decorate posters and gather on the bridge that overlooks the start of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 3-mile start to cheer on walkers. Along the route, walkers are greeted by poster-sized photographs of all the Heroes, which are displayed to inspire participants to keep walking.

On June 8, Walk Heroes, their families, and the teams walking in their honor, will meet for the first time during the Hero Match Party at Kings Bowl in Dedham, Mass. The event provides an opportunity for all involved to get to know each other, enjoy dinner together, and bowl together.

“Walk Heroes inspire participants to keep walking and create personal connections with every step they’re logging and the funds they raise,” says Zack Blackburn, director of the Jimmy Fund Walk.

The Jimmy Fund Walk offers four routes: 26.2 miles starting from Hopkinton; 13.1 miles starting in Wellesley; 5 miles from Boston College; and 3 miles from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s campus, which includes many patients and their families. All routes end at the Copley Square finish line in Boston. Walkers begin in Hopkinton between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m. (rolling start); at Wellesley High School between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. (rolling start); at Boston College between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. (rolling start); and at Dana-Farber at 1:30 p.m.

To register for the 2014 Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai (#JimmyFundWalk) on Sept. 21, or to support a participant, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255. Registration is easy and walkers can enter the discount code NEWS for $5 off.

About The Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund (www.JimmyFund.org) solely supports Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, raising funds for adult and pediatric cancer care and research to improve the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world. It is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, as well as the official charity of 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: www.facebook.com/thejimmyfund and on Twitter: @TheJimmyFund.

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is world-renowned for its leadership in adult and pediatric cancer treatment and research. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), it is one of the largest recipients among independent hospitals of NCI and National Institutes of Health grant funding. For more information, go to www.dana-farber.org.


We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?