2005 Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk

[[old] brianric]

My name is Brian Richards. I’m participating in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, a 26.2 mile walk to benefit Dana Farber Cancer Institute, a children’s cancer hospital in Boston. This will take place on September 18, 2005. I participate in this event due to my family’s history of cancer. Seventeen members of my family been affected by cancer. Thirteen have died, including my mother and father. Three are in remission, including my sister. I have one uncle fighting this damn disease. Since 1988 I’ve helped raise over $55,000 to help a child beat cancer in memory of my parents. I am asking for sponsors. I can be sponsored electronically by going to <a href='http://www.brianrichards.com' target='_blank'>my site</a>. I have all my Letters of the Ride (ten two day 192 mile bicycle ride) and Walk (seven to date) where for one day out of the year I am a Hero. This is my eighteenth journey to help speed the day that no one else’s family has to suffer like mine did. Thank you, and may God Bless.<br /><img src='http://www.brianrichards.com/2005pix/me-05.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[[old] mpukita]

Brian:<br /><br />Count 1 donation, in memory of a good friend who fell to this awful disease at age 34 leaving behind a wife and a beautiful young daughter. Thank you for your action and God Bless your efforts!<br /><br />Regards -- Mark

[[old] brianric]

<!--QuoteBegin-mpukita+Jul 9 2005, 08:28 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(mpukita @ Jul 9 2005, 08:28 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Brian:<br /><br />Count 1 donation, in memory of a good friend who fell to this awful disease at age 34 leaving behind a wife and a beautiful young daughter.  Thank you for your action and God Bless your efforts!<br /><br />Regards -- Mark <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Mark, Thank you. It’s very painful for me talking about this. In 1988 I was only going to do this event, at first a 192 mile two day bicycle ride as a one time event. It was suppose to be a in your face type event to my dad, who I had a rocky relationship with my dad after my mother died in 1964 from cancer. As the event got closer I started to see the effects of what cancer does to a person. When I was growing up I considered my dad to be the strongest man in the world. He was so strong in 1956 he lifted a 55 gallon trash can that three Lawrence Massachusetts garbage men could not lift. In 1960 my dad lifted the front end of a VW Beatle at an auto show in Boston to see what it looked like underneath. Mom sure did give him h*** when my parents got home. My Uncle Mike, who was with my parents, swears he lifted the car from the rear. I wasn’t there to witness that event. I honestly felt when I was growing up that if it wasn’t for my dad the United States would have lost World War II. To see the strongest man in the world getting wasted by this disease got to me. That first event changed my life back in 1988 forever. I’m facing total knee replacement, now under control with the brace, and I usually get beat up on the 26.2 mile walk. Last year the socks were covered in blood. I’ve had people tell me to give it up. Then you tell them that a week before his death he laid on his side in a bed. His hands were over his head, moving back and forth in a rapid motion. His legs were going up and down like he was running. There is nothing you can do to stop his pain. My father brought this on himself because he wanted to fight this damn disease. He even had chemotherapy treatment three weeks before he died; in the belief he was going to beat colon caner. He never gave up, even though the chemotherapy treatments prolonged his agony and pain. I tell people don’t expect his son to give up in raising money for cancer research. As long as I am capable of moving one foot in front of the other I will continue with this worthy cause.<br />Did I tell you I lost my Uncle Mike (my mother’s brother) to prostrate cancer this year? He was the second closest person in my life, and I miss him like you wouldn’t believe. Thank God I was able to spend a week with this wonderful man in Glace Bay Nova Scotia last year. Thank you Mark for your generous donation. I noted the name of your friend Mark Price, in my data base, to be added to the sponsor’s dedication page that I have at the end of my Letter of the Walk that I send to all my sponsors. Hope I don’t let you down. <br />Brian<br /><br /><img src='http://www.brianrichards.com/2003pix/mikeeliz.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[[old] brianric]

I hate to bump this up, but I just made the front page of my adopted home town newspaper.<br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/sunbeam1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/sunbeam2.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[[old] swavo1]

I'd be more than happy to offer a small donation. I'm practically broke and applying to college soon so it won't be much, but it will at least be something . BTW how should I get you the money?

[[old] brianric]

<!--QuoteBegin-swavo1+Aug 28 2005, 10:34 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(swavo1 @ Aug 28 2005, 10:34 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I'd be more than happy to offer a small donation.  I'm practically broke and applying to college soon so it won't be much, but it will at least be something .  BTW how should I get you the money? <br /> </td></tr></table><br />You can go to <a href='http://www.brianrichards.com' target='_blank'>my site</a> and sponsor me electronically or PM me with your full name and address and I'll mail out a sponsor form. Thank you.<br /><br />Brian

[[old] Canoeist]

Brian, <br /><br />Where are you staying? You can stay at my house in Weston (intersection of Rt 90 and Rt 95) to save expenses. <br /><br />Do you need some logistical help such as transportation to and from the airport, starting line, or finish line? I live about 1/2 mile from mile 16 mark of the Boston Marathon foot race. I don't know if the walk follows the same path, but if it does, I could bring fresh socks, T-shirt, food, encouragement, etc. to you at the half way point. <br /><br />I would like to help you in some way. My mother died at age 42 after a 10 year struggle with cancer, so I feel your pain.<br /><br />Please feel free to contact me at Paul(at)82OxBowRoad(dot)com<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Paul Flack

[[old] brianric]

<!--QuoteBegin-Canoeist+Aug 30 2005, 07:26 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Canoeist @ Aug 30 2005, 07:26 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Brian,  <br /><br />Where are you staying?  You can stay at my house in Weston (intersection of Rt 90 and Rt 95) to save expenses.  <br /><br />Do you need some logistical help such as transportation to and from the airport, starting line, or finish line?  I live about 1/2 mile from mile 16 mark of the Boston Marathon foot race.  I don't know if the walk follows the same path, but if it does, I could bring fresh socks, T-shirt, food, encouragement, etc. to you at the half way point. <br /><br />I would like to help you in some way.  My mother died at age 42 after a 10 year struggle with cancer, so I feel your pain.<br /><br />Please feel free to contact me at Paul(at)82OxBowRoad(dot)com<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Paul Flack <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Paul, I may take you up on the offer for Saturday night, and if you don’t mind Sunday. I won’t know until after Labor Day weekend. I’m driving up. The Walk is well setup, with parking at Colella's Supermarket in Hopkinton. Those starting off at Wellesley park at Woodland MBTA Station and take a shuttle to the start at Wellesley High School, which is about 3 miles away.<br /><br />The actual route is the Boston Marathon route, except for the detour that the Jimmy Fund has it walkers starting off from Hopkinton take to go to Wellesley High School for lunch. This adds an additional 0.5 mile to the walk. I sometimes ship it and go straight, which is the official course.<br /><br />If anything I will ask, if you don’t mind, for encouragement at the half way point. I’ll send you one of my cell phone numbers via email, or both, if it doesn’t rain. When I got interviewed by the newspaper the reporter asked if anyone is there to cheer me on, and I said no. I told her the thirteen members of my family whom have died from cancer are with me in my heart. If that doesn’t help, I have Frankie and the boys (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons) to play their music in my mind.<br /><br />Long story on the Four Seasons, but when my mother died and my father remarried, he became cold and distant towards his children. I remember doing my chores around the house on Saturday morning, then go down in the cellar and play my Four Seasons music for hours on end. My dad never told me to turn down the record player. He did let me see the original group play at the Billerica Forum in 1965. Years later when I came home on leave from the Navy before I made my first Med cruise on the Ike (USS Eisenhower, CVN 69) I was driving with him in his car to go to his company’s Christmas party, when an old Four Season’s tune came on the radio. He was whistling to the song. I’m thinking, damn, I thought I was driving him up a wall as a kid. Why, I could have been a Stones’ fan. Whenever I got depressed out at sea, I’d listen to my Four Seasons music. When I’m listening to my music, there is nobody or anything that can hurt me. So when I find myself in trouble on the walk, Frankie and the boys come to my rescue.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad, as he was good to my mother when she was alive. I do have some unfinished business to do with my dad before this year’s walk. Just before he died he remarked that he never was alive to see the Red Sox win a World Series. Having remembered the 1967, 1975, and especially the 1986 World Series, smiled and said “at the rate they are going, neither will I dad, neither will I.” On September 17, I’m stopping at his grave in North Andover Massachusetts so I can say “hey dad, the Red Sox finally won a World Series.” I will then walk to my car, pull out a brand new Boston Red Sox ball cap, and place it on his grave, salute the strongest man in the world, close my eyes in tears, get back in my car and leave. I’m going to believe the hat went on its way to heaven, and when I come back the following year to visit his grave I’ll be proven right.<br /><br />Well, I got to go. I’ll email you with my email address and phone numbers. I’ll let you know next week on your kind offer for a place to stay.<br /><br />Brian

[[old] brianric]

I want to thank everyone who sponsored me for my 2005 Walk. Final totals are not in yet, but I raised over $3,100, bringing my 18 year total to over $57,000 in memory of my parents. Letter of the 2005 Walk will be sent to all 2005 Sponsors within three weeks. Here are some pictures from the 2005 Walk.<br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/walk1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/walk2.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/walk3.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/walk4.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/walk5.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/walk6.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><img src='http://www.brianric.com/2005pix/walk7.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />