(Everett, MA) – Danielle Blades of Everett, 28, will be running in the
Hyannis Marathon on Sunday, February 26, as an American Cancer Society
DetermiNation athlete. The Society’s DetermiNation program is a
powerful and inspiring movement that saves lives by enabling athletes
to dedicate their training and participation in marathons, half
marathons, and other endurance events in honor or in memory of a loved
one with cancer, while raising funds to support the Society’s mission
to saves lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.Danielle first heard about the Society’s DetermiNation program when
her friend Renee asked her to run on her Hyannis Marathon Relay team.
Renee explained she wanted to participate in honor of her father, who
she lost to cancer a few years ago. At first, Danielle agreed to join
the team to support her friend. However, after thinking about how
cancer impacts so many lives, she began to think how cancer had
largely affected her own life.When Danielle was ten years-old, she lost her grandmother to throat
cancer. “She smoked most of her life,” tells Danielle. “I watched my
mom be completely devastated by her loss.” Danielle’s mom is also a
smoker. “I fear that one day she will end up the same way as my
grandmother, and I will be left alone.” Also, thirteen years ago,
Danielle’s 85-year-old grandfather was diagnosed with an aggressive
case of sickle cell Leukemia. “He has been in and out of the
hospital,” explains Danielle. “He was in remission for a while, but
then had a relapse and underwent more radiation and chemotherapy.”
After undergoing an experimental treatment for about a year,
Danielle’s grandfather is currently in remission once again.“I guess I’ve always lived with cancer, but never thought about how
it affected me and my family,” says Danielle. “Now that I have been
invited to run as a DetermiNation athlete, it gives more meaning to
what I enjoy doing.” As Danielle prepares for the Hyannis Marathon,
she hopes to surpass her $500 fundraising goal.Dollars raised through the DetermiNation program enable the American
Cancer Society to save lives and create a world with less cancer and
more birthdays by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or
detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them
during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through
investment in ground breaking research and treatment discoveries; and
by fighting back by working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat
cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight.There are several other upcoming DetermiNation events
around New England including Boston’s Run to Remember Marathon, Half
Marathon, and 5-mile on Sunday, May 27, 2012 and the KeyBank Vermont
City Marathon and Relay, also on Sunday, May 27, 2012. Runners who
have qualified and are registered for the Boston Marathon may also
choose to raise funds for the American Cancer Society through
DetermiNation.
Training. Support. Inspiration. Fun. For more information, please
contact Katy Meagher at 508.270.4618 or [email protected], or
visit acsdetermination.org/newengland .About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly
a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer.
As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we
fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every
community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing
cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there
for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through
investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by
rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying
communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest
non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than
$3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a
result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and
countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this
year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or
night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
Everett Massachusetts Newspaper
