101 residents from Franklin were registered to participate in the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai on Sunday, October 1.

John Moore, Molly Kruse, Katherine Caruso, Peter Willis, Michael Gibeault, Harriet Rauffenbart, Ariel Doggett, Emerson Laing, Angel Moscatelli, Peter Sullivan, and 91 Franklin residents along with thousands of other walkers, will participate in the iconic annual event that will unite the community to raise funds to support all forms of adult and pediatric care and cancer research at the nation’s premier cancer center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $167 million for Dana-Farber Cancer in its 34-year history, raising a record-breaking more than $8.8 million in 2022.

Mark Lewis will participate as a Walk Hero for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. Heroes are matched with Jimmy Fund Walk teams to give participants an opportunity to connect with patients. Mark was diagnosed with Stage IV GI cancer with liver metastases. Mark walks on his match team, The Rak Pack.

“Dana-Farber gives me a sense of security,” Mark writes. “The Jimmy Fund is a way for me to give back and help others who are going through the same thing I am. I am hoping to be able to watch my two boys grow up.”

“Throughout the past 34 years, the Jimmy Fund Walk has continuously supported life-saving research and cancer care at Dana-Farber. The 2023 Walk will be held during the Jimmy Fund’s 75th anniversary year and will aim to raise $9 million in the effort to prevent, treat, and defy cancer,” said Zack Blackburn, Director of the Jimmy Fund Walk. “This year also marks the 35th annual Jimmy Fund Walk. We are eager to get out on the course and see all our outstanding walkers and teams come together to support this great cause.”

The Jimmy Fund Walk is the only organized walk permitted on the famed Boston Marathon® course, and participants have the flexibility to choose from four distance options: 5K walk (from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Longwood Medical Campus), 10K walk (from Newton), Half Marathon walk (from Wellesley), and Marathon walk (from Hopkinton).

Whatever route walkers choose, participants will be treated to 10 refueling stations as well as poster-sized photographs of patients – Jimmy Fund Walk Heroes – displayed at each mile and half-mile marker as inspiration. All four routes of the Jimmy Fund Walk will culminate at the Jimmy Fund Walk Finish Line Powered by Schneider Electric. Due to construction in Copley Square, the Jimmy Fund Walk Finish Line location has been moved to the Fenway neighborhood for 2023. Walkers should know that distances may be slightly shorter as we finish the walk in front of Fenway Park. The finish line will include a celebration complete with food, music, and a speaking program.

For walkers who wish to participate a bit closer to home, the Jimmy Fund Walk has flexible opportunities. Participants can also join the event virtually by “walking their way” from wherever they are most comfortable—in their neighborhood, on a favorite hiking trail, or on a treadmill at home. Materials to support Virtual Walkers are available. 

To support a walker, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255. 

About the Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.