April 20, 2007

Marathon Monday: MGHers rack up the miles for the MGHfC

Despite the cold, rainy, raw spring day, MGH staff and supporters running the April 16 Boston Marathon held up their commitment to finishing the world-famous race to help raise money for cancer and cystic fibrosis programs at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC). The devoted athletes were part of two different marathon teams — the "Fighting Kids' Cancer ... One Step at a Time" team and the MGH Cystic Fibrosis Marathon Team. They were cheered on through the soggy conditions by a band of dedicated MGH supporters.

Howard Weinstein, MD, chief of the MGHfC Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit, started the "Fighting Kids' Cancer" team in 1998 after one of his patients died from a highly aggressive sarcoma. This year, the team aimed to raise $1 million for pediatric cancer programs and research. The 16-member Cystic Fibrosis Team set a goal of raising $50,000 for the MGH Cystic Fibrosis Clinic. A separate group of MGH runners also participated in support of the MGH Thomas S. Durant, MD, Fellowship in Refugee Medicine.