On April 17, Suffield resident Steven Mitzel is running to conquer cancer as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) team in the 121st Boston Marathon.
Along with more than 500 DFMC teammates from across the United States and around the world, they will run Massachusetts’ historic marathon route from Hopkinton to Boston to collectively raise $5 million for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
This year marks the 28th annual running of the DFMC team. One hundred percent of the money raised by the DFMC goes to Dana-Farber’s Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research, which supports promising scientific research in its earliest stages. The DFMC has raised more than $80 million for the Barr Program to date.
In 1990, Dana-Farber was among the first charity organizations to be recognized by the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A), which organizes the Boston Marathon. The DFMC team offers its members extensive fundraising support, training guidance from 1976 Boston Marathon men’s champion Jack Fultz, and team training runs, plus volunteer opportunities for non-runners. DFMC runners who are not time-qualified for the Boston Marathon receive an invitational entry into the race.
DFMC runners include cancer survivors and patients, and family and friends of those who have been affected by cancer. Each team member must fulfill a basic fundraising commitment: Invitational runners have a fundraising commitment of $5,000 and “own” entry runners have a fundraising commitment of $4,000.
A cornerstone of the DFMC is its Partner Program, in which some current and former pediatric patients are paired with DFMC runners as “Patient Partners,” giving them a unique and friendly focus outside of their illness.
To contribute to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge or support a runner, visit RunDFMC.org or contact the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge office at 617-632-1970 or dfmc@dfci.harvard.edu. Follow DFMC on Facebook: www.facebook.com/marathonchallenge. On Twitter: #RunDFMC.