Boston College Athletics
Coaches vs. Cancer 5K Raises $5,500 For Cancer Research
September 21, 2016 | Men's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
A Saturday morning on the reservoir served a great cause
Coaches vs. Cancer Website
The last weekend of the summer brought seasonably warm temperatures to the Boston area. A bright sun shone off the Chestnut Hill reservoir, and all those who awoke were able to bask in the glow of one of the last gorgeous days before the leaves change and the cold comes.
Opposite Gate B of Conte Forum and Alumni Stadium, however, the morning beauty brought together nearly 100 people with a common goal in mind as Boston College basketball teamed up with the American Cancer Society for a 5K raising money to help fight cancer.
"It's fantastic to do this event," said Greg McKeever of the American Cancer Society. "This is the sixth year of doing this run, and we always have great support from (head coach) Jim Christian and Dan McDermott from the men's basketball team, and the players too. The whole team has made this a great event over the years."
For this year's event, 95 runners raised $5,500 for cancer research. Starting behind Conte Forum, they started to the cheers of the Boston College cheerleaders and a police escort out onto Beacon St., running around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. After making their way around St. Ignatius Church, through the Mods, and back around Alumni Stadium and Conte Forum, everyone finished at the starting point with the sight of the cheerleaders' pom-poms bringing them home.
"The Coaches vs. Cancer program is something that's really grown in Massachusetts and New England over the past couple of years," said McDermott, the Director of Operations for the basketball program. "There are a whole bunch of events now with the gala, the coaches' clinics, and the suits-and-sneakers events, and this was really what started it off. I'm glad that it continues to do well and is continued to be supported."
The event brought together members of the Boston College and surrounding communities, with shirts of runners ranging from BC Law to Regis College basketball.Â
"The entire Coaches vs. Cancer program brings everyone together - not just at events like this," said McKeever. "When you see coaches and teams who compete against each other on the court unite, it's pretty inspiring."
"Cancer has touched everyone," said McDermott. "We had a cancer awareness game last year where all the players wore shirts of someone that had been affected by cancer. This is such a big part of our mission to play for something bigger than ourselves, and this connects with that. I'm sure the people who come out feel the same way."
At its heart, the money raised from this event will go to a tremendous cause. Having raised more than $30,000 in its history, it will support all of those who fight cancer through so many different ways. There's the obvious fight for awareness, helping people understand what screening tests they need, how to develop prevention and early detection standards. The money raised will help the research that's needed to knockout cancer, making it a thing of the past.
Beyond that, though, the American Cancer Society helps with those currently in the fight against the disease with information and services. There is the Road to Recovery, which offers transportation to and from treatment. There are beauty workshops for female patients to help manage the physical effects of cancer treatments. And there are facilities like the Hope Lodge, which provides free lodging for those people who have to travel for treatment.
"The money that we raise through these events goes to research, but the Hope Lodge on Huntington Ave. really touches people on a personal level," said McDermott. "All of our coaches have gone to visit and seen the work that they're doing. We can all take for granted that all of these great hospitals are in Boston, and we can commute from home.
"But if you live in Seattle and you want to come to Boston for your cancer treatments – there are so many things that get in the way of making it an easy process. The Hope Lodge takes away the stresses so that these people only have to worry about fighting the disease. It's so heartwarming and it's such a great thing. We need research and we need the science to eliminate cancer, but the community effort is really fantastic. This is something that a lot of our money is able to go to."
For more information on how to donate to the American Cancer Society through the Coaches vs. Cancer webpage.
The last weekend of the summer brought seasonably warm temperatures to the Boston area. A bright sun shone off the Chestnut Hill reservoir, and all those who awoke were able to bask in the glow of one of the last gorgeous days before the leaves change and the cold comes.
Opposite Gate B of Conte Forum and Alumni Stadium, however, the morning beauty brought together nearly 100 people with a common goal in mind as Boston College basketball teamed up with the American Cancer Society for a 5K raising money to help fight cancer.
"It's fantastic to do this event," said Greg McKeever of the American Cancer Society. "This is the sixth year of doing this run, and we always have great support from (head coach) Jim Christian and Dan McDermott from the men's basketball team, and the players too. The whole team has made this a great event over the years."
For this year's event, 95 runners raised $5,500 for cancer research. Starting behind Conte Forum, they started to the cheers of the Boston College cheerleaders and a police escort out onto Beacon St., running around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. After making their way around St. Ignatius Church, through the Mods, and back around Alumni Stadium and Conte Forum, everyone finished at the starting point with the sight of the cheerleaders' pom-poms bringing them home.
"The Coaches vs. Cancer program is something that's really grown in Massachusetts and New England over the past couple of years," said McDermott, the Director of Operations for the basketball program. "There are a whole bunch of events now with the gala, the coaches' clinics, and the suits-and-sneakers events, and this was really what started it off. I'm glad that it continues to do well and is continued to be supported."
The event brought together members of the Boston College and surrounding communities, with shirts of runners ranging from BC Law to Regis College basketball.Â
"The entire Coaches vs. Cancer program brings everyone together - not just at events like this," said McKeever. "When you see coaches and teams who compete against each other on the court unite, it's pretty inspiring."
"Cancer has touched everyone," said McDermott. "We had a cancer awareness game last year where all the players wore shirts of someone that had been affected by cancer. This is such a big part of our mission to play for something bigger than ourselves, and this connects with that. I'm sure the people who come out feel the same way."
At its heart, the money raised from this event will go to a tremendous cause. Having raised more than $30,000 in its history, it will support all of those who fight cancer through so many different ways. There's the obvious fight for awareness, helping people understand what screening tests they need, how to develop prevention and early detection standards. The money raised will help the research that's needed to knockout cancer, making it a thing of the past.
Beyond that, though, the American Cancer Society helps with those currently in the fight against the disease with information and services. There is the Road to Recovery, which offers transportation to and from treatment. There are beauty workshops for female patients to help manage the physical effects of cancer treatments. And there are facilities like the Hope Lodge, which provides free lodging for those people who have to travel for treatment.
"The money that we raise through these events goes to research, but the Hope Lodge on Huntington Ave. really touches people on a personal level," said McDermott. "All of our coaches have gone to visit and seen the work that they're doing. We can all take for granted that all of these great hospitals are in Boston, and we can commute from home.
"But if you live in Seattle and you want to come to Boston for your cancer treatments – there are so many things that get in the way of making it an easy process. The Hope Lodge takes away the stresses so that these people only have to worry about fighting the disease. It's so heartwarming and it's such a great thing. We need research and we need the science to eliminate cancer, but the community effort is really fantastic. This is something that a lot of our money is able to go to."
For more information on how to donate to the American Cancer Society through the Coaches vs. Cancer webpage.
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