childhood_cancer 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.

Jun 02 2021

Sherry’s House: Covid -19 reopening plan

Greetings,

I am sure we are all looking forward to the beginning of summer, time outside and a return to familiar gatherings. It has been a long fifteen months for all of us and with the lifting of most state Covid restrictions, I am pleased to announce that Sherry’s House will be open again as of June 1^st. We are excited to welcome back our Why Me Families, volunteers and donors. There will be a period of adjustment as we all find our comfort zone and return to normal activities. For the past 36 years, Why Me’s purpose has been to facilitate personal connections and support for families with childhood cancer. While we have managed to do that from a distance over the past year and half, we realize that many families are ready for face-to-face, in-person contact with Why Me staff and other families.

We will be following the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s updated requirements for healthcare settings and those working with vulnerable populations and ask you to please wear a mask when you arrive to enter Sherry’s House. As always, please exercise prudent judgement when coming to the house. If you are ill or suspect that you have had contact with someone who has been exposed to Covid-19, please postpone your visit.

For our families: The summer will see a gradual return to in-person meetings, support groups and gatherings. Please be patient as this will be a work in progress and subject to review. Due to a fragmented school year, many of our families may have children in summer school. Many of you may choose to travel for the first time. We will advise you in the coming weeks of upcoming events but here are a few upcoming and outdoors. We are planning to have our annual Bravehearts baseball outing at Fitton field and Spree Day at the 200 Sportsman’s Club with the dates to be determined. We will also have Carnival Day on August 1^stat the 228 in Sterling.

For our Volunteers: We will require volunteers to be vaccinated to serve at family events and in the house. Volunteers wishing to participate should provide a copy of their vaccination card for their confidential file with Ginette, Director of Volunteers, and discuss any related issues with her. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in helping to keep our families safe and comfortable.

For our Donors: Donors will once again be allowed back into the office, we just ask that you wear a mask when arriving. For those not ready to come inside, we will also continue to leave our first parking space open for curbside donation drop-offs. You do not need an appointment in advance but if you’d like to make one, please visit our website or click here.

We are looking forward to seeing our volunteers return and families on the playground. Thank you all for your perseverance and patience. We look forward to better days ahead and new memories everlasting!

Be well,

David Hagan, Executive Director

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.

Mar 11 2021

Covid-19 pandemic – one year later, thanks to our community

Greetings to our Why Me Families, Volunteers, and Supporters –

This has certainly been an unprecedented twelve months. One year ago, we all put our lives on hold and hunkered down for two weeks.

Weeks turned into months, rooms in our homes became offices and schoolrooms, and familiar routines gave way to evolving uncertainty. Perhaps most disruptive was the loss of in-person contact. We all stopped visiting each other, talking face to face, and a good old hug became an elbow bump at best.

We have all done our best to maintain our careers, relationships, and sanity. As I write this letter, spring is in the air, spirits are lifting, and hearts are hopeful that our toughest days are behind us. Many of us are getting our vaccine, schools are moving toward full in-person learning, and businesses will follow. We have all come to appreciate that which was lost and we look to the future with optimism.

I would like to thank all our supporters from the bottom of our full hearts. Together we have made the most of a difficult time and emerged stronger for it.

Family Fun Events that we have had in place for years had to be re-imagined to accommodate new realities. These safety constraints were critical for our families given their fragile health and compromised immune systems. With that came indomitable spirit and grateful hearts for whatever we came up with. We made the most of our wonderful grounds at Sherry’s House with the Haunted Halloween Stroll, Holiday Drive Thru, and Angel Tree Walk. We spent many evenings gathering virtually, whether for support groups or fun – including bingo, cooking and trivia nights. How wonderful that we have been able to continue our traditions and reaffirm that it doesn’t matter where or how we gather but only that we come together to support each other. As most of our fundraisers were cancelled last year, all of this was made possible through the generosity of our donors and supporters. To every single one of you who helped us provide love and support to our families, thank you.

We are making plans for Family Fun Events and all our popular events and gatherings just as soon as it is safe to do so. To our dedicated volunteers, get ready! We will be in touch in the coming months to let you know what we have in store for you and ask that you be patient for just a little longer. If you are not signed up to volunteer with us but would like to, please download the application here. If you would like to get involved from afar, check out our website for fun virtual fundraisers or send us some items from our wish list to keep our pantry stocked.

We are so excited for the light at the end of the tunnel. Better times are coming. Thank you for standing alongside us through this unpredictable year.

Be safe and be joyful,

David Hagan, Executive Director

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