Residents from Grafton will participate in the Boston Marathon® 

Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai on Sunday, October 6.

Retiring Police Chief Normand Crepeau, Erin Slason, Cathryn Williams, Mary Legere, Betsy Ryer, Maria McManus, Kelly Gannon, Kristie Copeland, Rao Kandukuri, Caitlin Ghegan, and five other Grafton residents, along with thousands of other walkers, will participate in the iconic annual event that unites the community to raise funds and support all forms of adult and pediatric care and research at the nation’s premier cancer center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $176 million for Dana-Farber in its 35-year history, raising a record-breaking $9.4 million in 2023.

 Grafton residents Mark Leahy and Ken Knoblock will participate as Walk Heroes for the Jimmy Fund Walk. Heroes are Dana-Farber patients, the heart of the event, who provide inspiration and motivation to walkers along the course. Heroes are matched with Jimmy Fund Walk teams who walk in their honor. Leahy was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic prostate cancer and recently retired as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. He  is a longtime walker on Team Police Chiefs.

 “After many years of participating in the Jimmy Fund Walk, I found myself as a patient,” Leahy writes. “When I received my diagnosis, there was never a doubt about where I’d go for treatment. Dana-Farber is simply the best. The physicians and staff made me feel welcome, cared for, and at peace. Thank you!”

 Ken was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He is matched with Foxborough and Milford’s team Kindness For Katie.

 “I have found Dana-Farber to be my lifeline to maintaining my health and continuing to live my life,” Ken writes. “With Dana-Farber behind me, I’m able to hike, bike, ski, travel, and play pickleball!”

 “For 35 years, the Jimmy Fund Walk has continuously supported lifesaving research and cancer care at Dana-Farber. Our goal is to build off of the momentum we’ve established throughout that history, and in 2024, aim to surpass our total from last year by raising $9.5 million,” said Caitlin Fink, assistant vice president of event fundraising. “Fighting cancer is what we do. The Walk unites our community under a common goal —to defy cancer together.”

The Jimmy Fund Walk is the only organized walk permitted to use the Boston Marathon course, and participants have the flexibility to choose from four distance options: 5K walk (from Dana-Farber’s Longwood Medical Campus); 10K walk (from Newton); half marathon walk (from Wellesley); and marathon walk (from Hopkinton). Walkers can participate virtually as well.

 The Jimmy Fund comprises 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. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children’s Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, X, and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.