Each footstep that Richard Gonzalez takes will be in memory of his mother.
The 48-year-old from Howard Beach, who lost his mom to cancer on August 5, will be walking 13 miles – thousands of footsteps – in the 23rd Annual Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk on September 18.
The avid fundraiser told The Courier that he had just signed up for the walk when his mother was diagnosed.
“She had a tumor, it was too late when they caught it,” he said.
Now, more than ever, she is his inspiration, he said.
“She used to walk six miles from Cross Bay Boulevard to Pennsylvania Avenue,” said Gonzalez. “Her goal was to make it to the Canarsie Piers, but she never made it.”
So, in her honor, Gonzalez, who has participated in, among others, the Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser – 160 miles on bike over two days – will be one of the nearly 9,000 walkers expected to participate with the collective goal of raising more than $7.5 million for lifesaving adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.
The Walk is the largest single-day participatory event benefiting the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since its inception in 1989, the Walk has raised more than $73 million.
“We are thankful to everyone involved in the Walk who is committed to raising funds for cancer care and research at Dana-Farber,” said Ann Beach, director of the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. “Through the event, walkers are united by the common goal of funding cures for all cancers.”
Gonzalez said he trains by walking from Cross Bay Boulevard to Erskine Street and back. He also cycles 22 miles from Howard Beach into Brooklyn.
For him, the effort is all about the ability to help others.
“The important thing is going out there, doing something to make you feel good and make someone else feel better because you’re doing something for them,” said Gonzalez. “Even if you can help just one person, it’s the biggest motivation. It’s important to give people hope.”
To register for the 23rd annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, to support a walker, or to volunteer, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255.
