Defying cancer from Falmouth to Everest

Jim Kiley’s journey with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund began in March 2006, when his coworker, mentor, and good friend David passed away from cancer. At David’s funeral, his son spoke of the compassionate care his father had received at Dana-Farber, which moved Jim deeply.

“Hearing David’s son speak about his father’s caregivers at Dana-Farber, mentioning each one by name, and highlighting how they cared not just for David but for the entire family, I knew I had to find a way to honor my friend and give back.” Jim recalls.

When Jim went home and began researching ways to get involved, he started reading about the ASICS Falmouth Road Race, a seven-mile race along the Cape Cod coastline. When he saw that Dana-Farber had their own Falmouth Road Race charity team, he knew it was the perfect opportunity to run in David’s memory and raise money for the place that had taken such good care of his friend.

After Jim was accepted to Dana-Farber’s 2006 Falmouth Road Race team, he quickly began training and fundraising. He sent out donation requests to family and friends, asking them to join Team Lanzoni, in honor of David.

“My pitch was simple. People would ask, ‘How do I join Team Lanzoni?’ and I would reply, ‘Just make a donation and you’re on the team.’ That’s really how everything started,” Jim shares.

The 2006 race was only the beginning for Team Lanzoni. After his first year, Jim realized that he needed more runners on the team to increase their overall fundraising impact. Shifting his approach from seeking donations to encouraging participation, he successfully recruited two friends to join him in 2007, and then had a breakthrough the following year when he brought 12 runners on board.

“One of my favorite moments from that breakthrough year was seeing everyone after the finish line. They were all beaming, and were so proud of what they had done,” Jim reflects.

From there, Team Lanzoni continued to see a steady growth in membership, sometimes reaching as many as 132 members each year. Part of the team’s growth was attributed to Jim’s work as Regional Vice President at The 99 Restaurants and Pubs. As part of Jim’s job, he would often visit many different restaurants, where his coworkers would always ask about the Falmouth Road Race and the fundraising process. Jim would reassure anyone who asked that the fundraising aspect was easier than it seemed, and that with some training, anyone could complete the race.

“I would emphasize how incredible it feels to cross the Falmouth finish line after raising money for the dedicated doctors and patients at Dana-Farber,” Jim says of his recruitment strategy. His encouragement worked, and now, 20 years later and still going strong, the team has raised millions for cancer care and research at Dana-Farber.

Later this summer, on Sunday, August 17, Jim will join hundreds of Dana-Farber runners as he takes on his 20th Falmouth Road Race. When asked what keeps him coming back to Dana-Farber’s Falmouth team year after year, Jim shared many different answers about what inspires him to run: the knowledge that he is raising money to support unrestricted funds (funds that can be allocated by Dana-Farber to the areas of most urgent need); the idea that money he raises could help a researcher turn their idea into reality; the support of The 99 Restaurants and Pubs; and getting to watch first-time runners join the team and meet physical and fundraising goals they didn’t know they were capable of. Even with all these sources of inspiration, Jim knows what his top motivator is: “I do it for the doctors and patients at Dana-Farber. It’s that simple,” he shares.

Jim’s passion for supporting Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund has extended well beyond his 20-year legacy in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Recently, he had the opportunity to trek to Mount Everest Base Camp. While researching the trip, Jim saw photos of walls covered in stickers at rest stops along the trail. Looking at these photos, Jim had an idea: “I had a stack of oval ‘We are all Jimmy’ stickers and thought I could use them to mark my journey to base camp. My hope was that people on the trail might see the sticker and look up Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund to learn more.”

While Jim hoped to spark curiosity, his main goal in placing these stickers was to cheer on any cancer survivors who might find themselves walking the same trail.

“The best outcome would be if a survivor followed that same path, saw the stickers, and felt inspired and supported by the message behind ‘We are all Jimmy,’” he shares. For Jim, the stickers were more than just a way to leave a mark; they were symbols of hope, resilience, and the enduring strength of those facing a cancer diagnosis.

This spirit of support and encouragement is the same driving force behind Team Lanzoni, which has since evolved into Team Bergeron, renamed to honor another The 99 Restaurants and Pub employee who passed away from cancer. As Jim gears up for his next Falmouth Road Race, he reflects on all the team has accomplished.

“When I look back at all the different people who participated on Team Lanzoni, it makes me so proud. Everyone has their own reasons for joining, and helping them achieve their fundraising and training goals is deeply gratifying,” he shares.

As far as the future of Team Lanzoni/Bergeron goes, Jim remains committed to nurturing the team’s growth and impact. His dedication can be summarized by his signature post-race team goodbye: “See you next year, and don’t forget to find another runner to join the team!”