On May 7th I am fighting for the following people and for all others that have fought and continue to fight cancer. In particular, this event is in honor of the following.

Kathy Coe
This past winter I had the opportunity to speak to my former middle school teacher Kathyrn Coe a few weeks before she passed on from cancer. In a time of great uncertainty and pain, she took the call as an opportunity to be entirely selfless. She was as I always remembered her as a teacher: completely focused outside of herself, asking questions and fully invested in me. Kathy was far and away the best, most devoted educator I have ever had and the world would be lucky to see another like her.

Denise Trevenen
Denise and the Trevenen family were dear friends of my family growing up. She was an outstanding friend to my Mom and her impact resonates years later. Denise was a devoted wife and mother, a giving friend, a tireless community member and lived her life with a courage and enthusiasm that was infectious to all who knew her. I saw that my mother sourced a greater capacity and zest for life from Denise’s example and as a way to honor Denise’s joyful approach to life.

Constantine "Gus" Paron (Papou)
Papou (grandpa in Greek) was a tinkerer, sailor, father, and grandfather. He raised a strong man in my father and inspired much of my love of building and tinkering. Late in life Papou was diagnosed with lung cancer and I remember much of the end-of-life care and complications that he endured as a result of his cancer, as well as the ripples that impacted my Dad. Papou’s rich life inspired me to try to contribute to better later-in-life outcomes.

Maria Melillo Pacella
Maria was the mother of my good friend and former teammate, Daniel Pacella. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and passed away when Daniel was only 10 years old. Through it all, she showed incredible strength and courage, he never once remembers her complaining. She became his biggest source of motivation. Daniel has carried her mindset with him throughout his life, growing into a leader, captaining the University of Vermont men’s soccer team, and helping the program rise as a strong NCAA contender. His drive, resilience, and leadership on and off the field are a reflection of her enduring influence.

All proceeds will go to Dana Farber Cancer Institue, StrikeOut Cancer Foundation, and the Foundation for Metabolic Cancer Therapies.

Dana Farber Cancer Institute is the flagship charity of Haymakers4Hope and "provides expert, compassionate, and equitable care to children, adults, and their families, while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of cancer and related diseases."

StrikeOut Cancer Foundation, founded by Anthony Pacella (the brother of my good friend and former teammate Daniel Pacella), raises money for Make-A-Wish Foundation to honor his mother Maria who passed away from cancer.

The Foundation for Metabolic Cancer Therapies believes that every person facing cancer deserves treatment options and they are working to "ensure that non-toxic metabolic therapies are available to those patients that wish to include them in their therapeutic regimen." This foundation funds the work of research like Dr. Thomas Seyfried of Boston College who are pushing to showcase the efficacy of ketogenic diets, exercise and other non-invasive interventions as supplemental cancer therapies.

https://www.dana-farber.org/
https://www.instagram.com/strikeoutcancerfoundation/
https://foundationformetaboliccancertherapies.com/