Family and friends of Heather Walker, the former Celtics VP of marketing who passed away last spring of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, will join other Marbleheaders at the Jimmy Fund Walk Oct. 1.
“I’m walking in honor of my wife, Heather Walker, and everyone who has been hit with a cancer diagnosis,” Stephen Walker told the Current. “The funds we raise will allow for more treatments and hopefully a cure. The days of losing loved ones to cancer must stop.”
Rachel Marco of Marblehead is also joining the Jimmy Fund Walk with her family. They are raising money in memory of Marco’s mother, Lorraine Harrington, who died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at age 59. Harrington had already survived a battle with breast cancer.
“I still miss my mom a great deal, especially now that I have two daughters of my own, so it means a lot to be able to participate in the Jimmy Fund Walk in her honor,” Marco said. “It’s also a way to remind my girls about how important she was to our family, even if they didn’t have a chance to meet her.”
Marco hopes her walk will help shine a light on ovarian cancer, which is still difficult to diagnose — often until it’s too late.
“They don’t even have a blood test,” Marco said. “Dana-Farber is working on it, but I hope the walk helps raise awareness and funds for research and patient care.”
Marco will walk with her husband and their daughters, Annie, 4, and Emilia, 1. They will start at Dana-Farber and walk to Fenway Park.
Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King will join the walk for his second time as part of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association team.
“The fight to find the cure for cancer never ends, and the Jimmy Fund does incredible work raising funds for it,” King said.
Other Marbleheaders walking include Andrea Onufrychuk, Jason Johnson, Rossana Ferrante, Dana Chicoine and Susan Walton.
The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $167 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in its 34-year history. People can walk a 5K, 10K, half-marathon or full marathon route. They can also walk virtually in their own communities.
Here are the links to some Marblehead Jimmy Fund Walk fundraising pages:
Walker family: https://loom.ly/IippqCs
Marco family: https://loom.ly/iLtwgSw
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist who has written hundreds of stories for local newspapers, including the Marblehead Reporter.
