Hello Family, Neighbors and Friends,

I’m excited to report that I’ve returned to my fundraising efforts on behalf of Dana Farber! Happy life events and two little people have kept me busy since I last ran the marathon in 2010! Now that my children are 6 and 9 (and I have a minute to blink) it’s time to start “paying it forward”. I hope you are well and would like to join me on my mission!

As many of you know, I was 25 when my mother passed away from a rare form of cancer called Leiomyo Sarcoma. It was my mother’s death that ultimately inspired me to begin running, a choice that brought great peace to my life. Although I was not a “kid” I certainly did not feel like an adult and was not ready to grasp what life without my mother would mean. I wasn’t sure how to process these feelings so I started running, and running, and running. The following year I decided to leave my career as a Social Worker to embark on a new journey of selling real estate to turn my part-time “hobby” into my profession! Through running I met so many wonderful people and eventually ran the Boston Marathon five times with the lovely Dana Farber Group. I chose Dana Farber for many reasons. My primary motivation was that 100% of their fundraising efforts fund the salaries for their innovative research team. I learned that, as a community , we are so blessed to have this cutting edge treatment facility right here in Boston, a luxury many folks around the world could only dream of.

If any of you have ever had the unfortunate cause to receive treatment at Dana Farber or the fortunate opportunity to accompany a friend of family member to Dana Farber, my guess is that you’ll agree that it is truly a special place. From the moment you arrive from the parking attendants right on up to the worlds most distinguished doctors, all of their staff treat everyone with dignity, kindness and respect. If you haven’t ever been to Dana Farber, I’d highly recommend visiting or volunteering there. If you’re anything like me you’ll leave with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and a new-found focus on what is important in life.

So, although I’ve hung up my sneakers (for now) I have chosen to team up with a childhood friend, Jonathan Duggan, who is just now embarking on a similar journey, many years after his mother passed away after a long battle with breast cancer.

How can you help? There is a collective way we can all help raise money for the greater good. As a local Realtor I often have the wonderful opportunity to help folks purchase or sell their home. If you are thinking of listing your home, or know someone who may be looking for a home I would be happy to help! For every closing that occurs between now and April 16 I will donate $200 to Dana Farber, in honor or memory of your loved one. I have also teamed up with a local attorney and local loan officer who are excited to collaborate to support a total of $300 contribution per sale.

Also, donations of any amount at all are truly appreciated! If you would like to make a small donation to help my friend Jonathan please log on to http://www.runDFMC.org/2019/jonathand, you’ll be able to make a donation in honor of your loved one.

Together we can help to reach the ultimate finish line, a world without cancer!

All my thanks,

Julie Gibson, REALTOR
Bowes Real Estate

(781) 771-5760