South End resident, Allie Klein, plans to participate in the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai for the fourth year this fall, even though the Walk is now virtual. Allie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in May 2015. After years of treatment at Dana-Farber, Allie started her own team, Acute Lymphomaniacs, and walked in the 2017 Jimmy Fund Walk. "Participating in the Walk was my bookend to that period of my life," Allie writes. "As I move forward in my life, I really enjoy the sense of community the walk brings. It's a big piece of my life."
Allie is normally able to get a group of family members and friends to join her on Walk Day, but this year she has to think differently. "We wanted to reach $100,000 this year, but we may have to temper our expectations," Allie writes. "But cancer doesn't stop." So neither does Allie.
This year, she plans on trying to get others around her to walk with her from a socially responsible distance. "I love being surrounded by people who are all working towards the same goal," Allie says. "They all have a collective understanding of what you have been through."
The Walk will still take place on Sunday, October 4th. While the event will not physically bring walkers together along the famed Boston Marathon® course due to safety concerns, it will continue to unite the community to raise funds to support all forms of adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at the nation's premier cancer center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Participants are encouraged to walk their way virtually, whether it be in their neighborhoods, hiking trails, or their own treadmills! The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $145 million in its 30+ year history. You can find out more about Jimmy Fund Walk: Your Way here.
To register for the Walk (#JimmyFundWalk), to support a walker, or to volunteer, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255. While the Jimmy Fund Walk will look different this year, we are all together, wherever, against cancer.
If you would like to learn more about Allie or schedule an interview, I would be happy to help you. Please let me know if you are interested.