Fundraising Archives

Nov 17 2021

“The Next Step”

The first annual 100 Mile Ruck March Challenge took place in July and raised over $73,000 for Why Me. This is a military inspired event, where a small group of athletes ruck (hike) 25 miles a day for 4 days. Camping out each night on the farm of a local brewery and continuing the march at sunrise each morning. Athletes carry everything they need for this 4 day event on their backs, navigate the 100 mile course, cook their own meals, set up and break down their own camps each night, tend to their feet and bodies, all in an attempt to earn the coveted 100 Mile Ruck March Finisher Medal. From the early stages of planning to stepping off day 1 at Sherry’s House through every blister to the final two athletes crossing the finish line – the entire event was filmed by Brandon Dziokonski, from Cinch I.T.

Brandon then took all of the footage and seamlessly weaves together an incredible documentary that captures the raw emotion of the entire experience. The Next Step is not only the compelling journey of 15 athletes pushing their minds and bodies while discovering their limits but also the fortitude of children and their families battling pediatric cancer. We encourage everyone to take the time to watch the movie whether on your device or streaming on your television.

All 15 athletes are local entrepreneurs or business owners, some with young children, who put their professional and personal lives on hold for four days to raise funds and awareness for Why Me. Some spent months training, wherever they could fit it into their day – whether early in the morning or late at night. In so many ways this competition honored many obstacles that a child with cancer faces. Our athletes were away from their families and the comfort of their own homes while participating. Our Why Me children and families know all too well, the stress that comes from having a family divided. Often when a child is hospitalized, parents must decide who will stay in the hospital and who will care for the siblings at home. Adjusting to the new normal of hospital food, machines beeping and discomfort are just a few small things that family have to take on upon a cancer diagnosis. Each night as our competitors set up their individual tents on the hard ground and consume their prepacked meals, they were reminded of what it feels like to miss the comforts of home. The rucks they carried were symbolic of the baggage and emotions that childhood cancer patients and their families must carry as they face a life-threatening illness and uncertain future.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world”
— Margaret Mead

Thank you to each athlete – Rick Porter, the creator of the 100 Mile Ruck March, Jay Barron, Eric Carey, Tim Coelho, Casey Cormier, Mike Covino, Tory Gisleson, Jessica Jacques, Tye Jordan, Evan Koogler, Tucker Mahoney, Troy Milliken, David Ojerholm, Michelle Paton, Tobe Reed. Each had your own personal “why” but we hope that throughout the four days we were able to show you Why Me’s why. 100 miles in 4 days is grueling but pales in comparison to what children battling cancer have to endure. You signed up without hesitation and have truly made a difference in so many lives of local families. {Below pictured L-R are finishers: Mike Covino, Tobe Reed, Tory Gisleson, Troy Milliken, Rick Porter, Jay Barron, Tucker Mahoney, Jessica Jacques, Tye Jordan and Tim Coelho.}

Mike Covino, Tobe Reed and Tory Gisleson

Troy Milliken, Rick Porter, Jay Barron and Tucker Mahoney

Join us July 21-24, 2022 for the 2nd annual 100 Mile Ruck March Challenge. Sign up as a volunteer or athlete here.

Mar 16 2021

Spin for Kids 2021 – Thank you Andy Sharry

Andy, center, at the Bermuda Marathon in 2000 with the Why Me Running team

Andy Sharry reached out to us in 2017 and proposed joining forces with Worcester Fitness to raise money through a Spin-a-thon.

Andy has been involved with Why Me in many different ways. He coached our marathon running teams, was a member of our board of directors, and held small events to raise money here and there for us over the years.

When he came to us with this new idea, immediately we agreed.

Our first Spin for Kids happened on March 4, 2018. We had 25 bikes, 3 instructors and over the 4 hours each participant rode about 75 miles. We had lofty goals of raising a few thousand dollars in just a few months and managed to raise a whopping $20,500.

The next year, 2019, increased with 28 bikes and the same grit to endure the 4 hours of being on a spin bike. We thought if we could raise $20,000 last year; why not try for $30,000. Our amazing riders, along with some sponsors, raised over $37,000, blowing our goal out of the water.

March 9, 2020, 32 riders spun a total of 2,400 miles and raised just over $47,000 for Why Me. The next day Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts and the rest of our fundraisers for 2020 were cancelled. Our physical office closed for 6 months but cancer does not stop, so we adjusted the way services were provided and helped our families feel supported when times were extremely tough.

Worcester Fitness also closed for many months and like the rest of us, continues to see the effects of the pandemic one-year later. We expected to put Spin for Kids on hold in 2021 but in January, Andy reached out and we made a go of it. We shifted the event to a whole week to add a virtual component and challenged participants to spin 100 miles over the week. We also added an at-home “Spin Your Way” option for families to get moving for a total of 10 hours in a week. Lastly, we were able to have a small in-person group, who were pushed to the max during the live 2-hour event.

This year, Spin for Kids made over $10,000 and over the last four years has raised almost $120,000 for Why Me.

None of this would have been possible without the heart and soul of Spin for Kids, Andy Sharry. Andy motivates like no other and he knows how to help others reach down deep to persevere. Andy is the first to be choked up when listening to a Why Me parent share their child’s journey at Spin for Kids and uses that emotion for inspiration.

Thank you Andy for caring so deeply. We could not ask for a better coach in our corner.

Andy closing out the last hour of our first Spin for Kids in 2018 {Photo Credit to Kill the Ball Media}

If you’d like to be on our mailing list to know about events, like Spin for Kids, and other happenings, sign up here.

Jan 13 2021

Ashlyn Mercier – Miss Gold Coast 2021

Miss Gold Coast is a part of the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Organization, Inc. – supporting the advancement of women in society by embracing diversity, education and civic action. The organization invests in the women of Connecticut to further their education and provides a platform to propel their futures. I will be competing in the Miss Connecticut competition this April! I am beyond excited to embark on this journey and am so grateful to have this opportunity. Throughout this year, I will be working with organizations that help bring positivity into the lives of children battling critical illnesses. Like my Facebook page to follow me along on my journey and the road to Miss Connecticut, as well as my impact with Nick’s Courage: One Smile Goes a Mile.

My brother Nicholas was only two years old when he received his Leukemia diagnosis, the next four years of his life he battled harder than anyone I know. Nick showed my entire family and me what it meant to be truly courageous and to be a hero. Battling pediatric cancer is hard on so many levels; it takes away a part of your childhood that you can never get back. For these kids it replaces what is supposed to be youth sports and playground fun with surgeries, prescriptions, and hospital rooms.

Why Me was there for Nick, to bring fun and lighthearted events back into his life. Through their Family Fun events, Nick got the opportunity to play and have fun like a kid again. For me as a sibling, I got to meet other families and siblings of children with childhood cancer which served as a beautiful reminder that Nick and my family were never alone in his fight. Nick and I’s favorite event to attend through Why Me was Spree Day. Every year we got to go to the 200 Sportsmen’s Club and compete in activities such as fishing, archery, and shooting BB guns. This event brought out my family’s competitive side and brought so much laughter and joy into our lives. The most magical event though is the Holiday Party, which was an event we had the opportunity to attend every year around Christmas time. What blew me away the most as a child and still to this day, is that every single child, including siblings that attended the Holiday Party received a Christmas gift. It brought so much joy to everyone there.

As Miss Gold Coast 2021, I want to give back to Why Me for all of the joy they have brought into my family’s life and all the joy they continue to bring into the lives of others. Through my social impact initiative, as part of the Miss America organization, Nick’s Courage: One Smile Goes a Mile; I will be hosting a series of raffles on my Facebook page. I hope that you will consider purchasing raffle tickets as all the money will be donated directly to Why Me. If you are not interested in purchasing raffle tickets, you can donate directly to Why Me’s website. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity.

Sincerely,

Ashlyn Mercier

Miss Gold Coast 2021

May 21 2019

Patrick Subaru Shares the Love for Why Me

Patrick Subaru of Shrewsbury went above and beyond with the 2018 Share the Love event. Each winter participating Subaru dealerships across America “Share the Love” by donating a portion of sales to a local charity. Why Me was chosen as one of two charities for Patrick Subaru support this year, raising a record $40,738.

“We were so excited to partner with Why Me & Sherry’s House for our annual Share the Love event, because they are a truly important and reputable charity.” said Michelle Bourget, Marketing Coordinator at Patrick Subaru. “I personally didn’t realize how vast the volume of ways that Why Me helped families was, nor the amount of thoughtfulness they put into making sure that these children and their families are taken care of in as many ways as possible.”

In addition to the financial donation, staff of Patrick Subaru have been donating their time. Service department staff came to the house to help with this year’s annual appeal. While at Sherry’s House helping stuff our annual mass mailing they noticed that there was not a television in the game room and decided to donate one. Their thought was that if this is a game room for teens there needed to be a television to play video games on or watch sports while playing pool.

Employees have been sprucing up the play room with new paper cranes and brightening the outside with colorful planted flowers. Bourget went on to say “Working with the staff at Why Me has been a true pleasure. They are thoughtful, kind and genuine. All of us at Patrick Subaru are looking forward to a continued friendship with these wonderful people!”

We are thankful for the support we have received from Patrick Subaru, they continue to go the extra mile for Why Me.

Aug 13 2018

The Road to Falmouth Road Race 2018

In just under a week, on August 19th, in the heat of the summer 6 runners will be running the Falmouth Road Race for Why Me & Sherry’s House. Sponsored by New Balance, the race is one of the showcase events in distance running and woven into the fabric of summer on Cape Cod, like Fourth of July fireworks and Labor Day weekend cookouts. Each Why Me runner was asked to fundraise a minimum of $1,000 to help support our programming. If you would like to help our runners reach their goals click here to donate and write the name of the runner in the comments section.

Deb and Erica: Deb and Erica are the mother/daughter duo of the Why Me team. They have run the Falmouth Road Race for the last 3 years but their involvement with us began long before that, over 12 years ago.

When my daughter Erica was 12 years old, she selected Why Me for a community service project. We came in for an initial tour and were so impressed and moved by what we saw and heard that Erica wanted to start volunteering that day! She began shortly thereafter – helping to clean and neaten Sherry’s House to provide a comfortable and sanitary setting for the children and their families.

We cannot begin to fathom the magnitude of emotions and physical, financial and logistical effects that a childhood cancer has on a child and their family. However, from our exposure to Why Me, we have come to understand and appreciate the range of services and the amount of caring, love, community support and financial assistance that they provide to families battling a childhood cancer.

This is our 4th year running the Falmouth Road Race for the Why Me team. We will be thinking about the children and their families as we run the 7.1 miles from Woods Hole to Falmouth. We imagine that the strength and determination we will exert on race day is what the children and their families must put forth every single day. The support of our donors has always been the wind at our backs, easing our efforts; we hope that their generosity also helps lighten the burden – at least a little bit – for the children and families who are supported by Why Me.

Emily: My name is Emily and I am a resident of Shrewsbury, Ma. I am a fourth grade elementary school teacher. The reason why I am running for Why Me is because back in high school I was able to see firsthand the great things that Why Me does for families with children battling cancer. I had to do volunteer hours for a class and decided to give my time to Why Me organizing the food pantry. When I was done I was allowed to go outside and play with the children. Every single child had a smile on their face and I enjoyed every time I got to go and volunteer. Why Me is a fantastic organization that looks to help others. When I noticed they were on the list of charity teams I reached out right away. I have wanted a reason to get back into running and what better way to do it then running the Falmouth Road Race for a great cause. I have started training and will be ready for August 19th!

Jeremy: I am fortunate to have chosen a profession in life science research field where I am able to work on developing new technologies that enable advances in discovery and development of new treatments and therapies for cancer. The cancer research community has made significant progress in understanding the basis of tumor development and progression and while I remain steadfast in my belief that these discoveries will translate into new and safer treatments, I want to help families who are facing the battle with cancer today. I am running for the Why Me & Sherry’s House in memory of friends and love ones who have provided inspiration to me and my family.

Kim: I work for Whittier Rehab Hospital as a Clinical Liaison and too often I see the emotional, financial and physical stress an illness can bring to patients and their families. I am running for a charity that I know will help ease that stress and the money I raise will help Why Me to continue to help and support these children and their families.

Michelle: Hi! I am Michelle and I am running the Falmouth Road Race for Why Me. I love running and what better way to help support this wonderful organization?! I believe in what Why Me does and stands for. I run because the money I raise will help them continue helping families.