Personal Profiles
September 19, 2008
Celebrating 20 years of walking the Walk
Dana-Farber Trustee Eileen Perini has participated in the Jimmy Fund Walk for 20 years
This Sunday, the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai celebrates its 20th anniversary, and a handful of walkers will mark their 20th time traversing the course. This year's goal is to raise more than $7.2 million for cancer research and care here. What motivates them to walk every year? A few share their stories:
Louis Goldberg first became involved with the Institute as a platelet donor. In 1989, the inaugural year of the Walk, he and the other people who donated here on Saturday mornings participated together, along with the staff in the donor center. They did the same the following year. Though he's never been part of a team, Goldberg, who worked in the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center from 1999-2003 as a donor recruiter, continued trying various Walk routes, including 10 times on the Hopkinton 26.2-mile course and multiple 13.1-mile walks from Wellesley to Boston. He even ran the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge in 1998.
"It's a given that I'm going to be there [at the Walk] each September," says Goldberg, whose family has not been touched by cancer, but believes you don't need to know someone special to want to help. "It's a wonderful opportunity to do something little that does a lot of good."
Each year, Goldberg earns the designation of pacesetter, which honors those who raise $1,000 or more. The event is a family affair for Goldberg, now in his 70s. His daughter, Toby, has walked with him and for the past few years, his 6-year-old granddaughter and wife have kept him company on the Boston 3-mile course. Eventually, says Goldberg, his granddaughter will inherit the family's mailing list of supporters.
Walking together
Institute Trustee Eileen Perini holds the distinction of leading the only team that has a group of core members who have walked every year.
In 1989, she walked in honor of her son, David, who had been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in 1982. He lost his eight-year battle with cancer the following year at age 26. Perini and her team members have continued to walk in David's memory, and contribute to the Walk's 19-year cumulative fundraising total of $51 million to support cancer research and care. The Perini family also founded the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic for cancer survivors at Dana-Farber in 1993 and the Perini Family Survivors' Center in 2003, which serves as an umbrella organization for the three survivor clinics here. Additionally, Eileen Perini volunteers as a receptionist at the front desk in Dana-Farber's lobby every Thursday from September to May.
"I am touched by the number of people who continue to contribute to my team each year and how many of them still walk for David," says Perini.
A family affair
An avid runner, Susan Curry, 54, run-walks the 26.2-mile route course every year in memory of her mother who died of breast cancer and her sister who is a survivor of the same disease and is currently dealing with multiple myeloma.
"I heard about the Walk on TV during a Red Sox game," says Curry, who thought it would be a great opportunity to be on the Boston Marathon course without the pressure of running.
Her husband and two sons have volunteered at Walk refueling stations for the last 10 years. Whether rain or shine, they are always there to offer her a fresh set of clothes, sneakers, and emotional support.
"I just think how much things have changed since my mother was ill," says Curry. "Researchers are doing amazing things and getting closer to getting a handle on cancer. There are lots of causes to support, but cancer seems to take too many of the people we know. Hopefully some day the Walk won't be needed."
— Dawn Stapleton
dawn_stapleton@dfci.harvard.edu
