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| A Marathon Walk for Cancer January 2008
For Sharon Ravan, what began as an effort to stay in shape has become an annual march against a deadly disease. "After I turned 40, I decided to take up walking to keep myself young," explains Ravan, resident security officer in MITRE's Special Security Office in Bedford. "I was looking for a yearly event to train for, with a hilly and challenging route." Ravan, who has worked at MITRE for three years, chose well. Since she made her commitment to fitness, she has participated in no fewer than six Jimmy Fund Walks. The walk features a 26.2-mile course that follows the same route as the famed Boston Marathon. "This is the only event, besides the Marathon itself, that's sanctioned to travel along the entire route from Hopkinton to Boston," she says. "Participants range in age from babies in strollers to 95-year-old enthusiasts, and just like the runners, we have to get over Heartbreak Hill at the 20-mile mark!" The Jimmy Fund Walk, which takes place each September, supports research and care for all forms of cancer. In 2006, when Ravan most recently participated, nearly 7,000 walkers raised approximately $5.5 million. "I start training in April, walking three miles at a time, and I try to hit different goals throughout the spring and summer," she says. "I walk about three times a week, and as the event gets closer, I increase the number of miles I negotiate." The day before the event, there is a traditional carb-loading pasta dinner for the walkers at a local high school. On event day, it takes Ravan about eight hours to complete the Jimmy Fund Walk route.
There have been many memorable moments during the hundreds of official miles she has logged. "The first year I participated, in 1989, a hurricane hit the Northeast, so the walk was postponed by two weeks," she recalls. But she took the delay in good stride, successfully completing her very first 26.2-mile effort. Another year, the refueling stations along the route—gasp!—ran out of water. "That particular year, it was very hot, so the water supply for participants depleted quickly," Ravan says. "Many people, including me, ended up drinking the melted ice water from the trash barrels that originally kept the bottled water and juices cold. I was one of many who landed in the medical tent suffering from dehydration." Walkers who commit to raising $1,000 or more each year are called "Pacesetters." Ravan has always been a Pacesetter. She also came up with a novel idea for her fundraising. "I told donors that in return for their contribution towards my walk, they could inscribe my t-shirt with the names of their loved ones. It was more fulfilling for everyone involved, and one of the names included was that of my father's second wife." The Jimmy Fund supports the fight against cancer at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which exclusively specializes in cancer research and care. The fund is named for a 12-year-old cancer patient dubbed "Jimmy," who was heard on a 1948 national radio broadcast as he received a visit in his hospital bed from his heroes, Boston Braves baseball players. Contributions poured in from around the nation, launching an effort that continues to bring hope to thousands of children and adults facing cancer throughout the world. Ravan points out that those who wish to be a part of the effort need not lace up their sneakers. "People can support a walker if they wish, which is just as valuable as those of us who choose to pound the pavement," she says. Page last updated: January 9, 2008 | Top of page |
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