A PERSONAL LETTER TO FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES
By now, you’ve probably heard that I’m running the 2010 Boston Marathon as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC). You may also know that I’m not really a runner, so you should probably be questioning my sanity. With that in mind, this letter is to explain why I’m running my first marathon in April, and to ask for your support.
As you may know, my Mother lost her battle with a rare form of uterine cancer last April. She was 67 years old, full of life and had much left to give. I’m still deeply affected by what happened to my Mom, and I struggle to understand how the healthiest and most energetic person I knew could be gone. However, I refuse to allow this tragedy define my experience with this terrible disease. For every story like mine, I know that there are many other stories of hope, recovery and survival. So I’m doing what I can to enable more of those positive outcomes by supporting the efforts of the scientists on the front lines of the war against cancer.
The DFMC raises funds for the Claudia Adams Barr Program, which supports the work of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s best young scientists in a variety of basic research disciplines. In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to gain a unique perspective into the hard work and dedication of the scientists and researchers behind every innovation. What I’ve learned is that the younger and less established scientists often have the most trouble securing funding. Every penny that I raise goes directly to these researchers. These funds are particularly crucial because they go towards the cutting-edge research that is often ignored by traditional grant organizations because it is so experimental. In my mind, this is the work that will lead to the revolutionary – not evolutionary – discoveries. I truly believe that the knowledge and innovation resulting from this research will one day lead to improved treatments, better cure rates, and perhaps even a real cure.
The 2010 Boston Marathon takes place on April 19, which is exactly one year to the day from my Mother’s death in 2009. Running my first marathon on this particular day will be something for me and my family to celebrate; not only because I ran the marathon, but also (and more importantly) for reaching my personal fundraising goal of $10,000. I am not alone in choosing the DFMC as a way to turn my personal experience with cancer into a call to action. Over 500 like-minded teammates will join me in the DFMC – each of us training through the bitter winter to run the marathon in April and collectively raise $5 million dollars for this critical cause.
I ask that you join me by contributing to this effort in any way that you can. To sponsor me, please visit my personal fundraising page at www.rundfmc.org/2010/markl where you can make an electronic donation with a credit or debit card. If you prefer to write a check, please make it out to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge and send it to my address: 286 River St, Unit 1, Cambridge, MA 02139. You can also contribute to my efforts by sharing your own story for my motivation and support. I’m keeping track of this journey on my blog – www.markloranger.com – and would love to hear from you. Comments are enabled above each post that I make. If you’re not comfortable with public disclosure but would still like to share your personal thoughts, please send an email that I will keep private. We’ve all experienced cancer in one way or another and each person has a story to tell. With your help, more and more of these stories will be of survival and healing, and one day we will reach the ultimate goal of the DFMC: a world without cancer.
Thank you!
Mark Loranger
603.799.2234
