Dear friends,

Last April, I met my Dana-Farber team in Hopkinton with over 15,000 runners for the 105th Boston Marathon, my fourth marathon in memory of Brittany Lambert. For once, I have no stories of injuries to tell, no nagging aches and pains - just memories of thoroughly enjoying myself the entire race. Mile after mile, I stopped to chat with friends, laughing about how much fun I was having. They questioned my sanity: who has “fun” running 26.2 miles? Brittany’s family met me at mile 25, and a friend of their family ran the last mile with me, whooping up the crowd to cheer me on every step of the way.

However, just a few months later, the world completely changed. On September 11th, Brittany’s mother, Linda, was one of the first people I called after my own family, quickly followed by an Instant Messenger conversation with her daughter, Brianne. A few weeks later, we regrouped in Hopkinton to walk the Boston Marathon course for the Jimmy Fund Walk. In stark contrast to my run in April, we were all still shocked, quiet and apprehensive. But as we walked, cars began honking, drivers began waving and passerby’s stopped us to thank us for supporting cancer research, renewing our determination to fight cancer.

As we walked, Linda, Brianne and I talked about how our lives have changed since I first ran the marathon four years ago. I have met amazing athletes and made lifelong friends, one of them my fiancé. I found an extended family in Linda, Brianne and the rest of their family and friends. Life has a way of coming full circle, and in spite of the loss of Brittany, we are grateful for all that we have gained.

Over the past four years you have helped me to raise over $25,000 for cancer research at Dana-Farber, and I want to thank you for your continual support, both financial and emotional. I hope that you will consider contributing this year. 100% of your tax-deductible donation funds Barr Program researchers at Dana-Farber, ensuring novel approaches in basic cancer research. While a cure was not found in time for Brittany, I know that the researchers that we are supporting today will eventually find one. As I gear up for my fifth marathon, I look forward to meeting Linda at mile 25 where she will run with me to the finish.

Thank you for your support and encouragement!

--Heather