Dear family and friends,
On Monday, April 15, 2024, Patriot’s Day in MA, I will be running the Boston Marathon to support Boston Children’s Hospital in memory of my childhood friend, Harry Clark, who passed away three years ago. For those of you who grew up in Wellesley with us, I hope you will join me in honoring our brave and inspiring friend who battled cancer from a young age. For those who didn’t know Harry, I hope you will join me in supporting Children’s Hospital where Harry spent so much of his time, bravely battling a rare brain tumor, to contribute to the amazing doctors and nurses who have dedicated their lives to sick children.
I’ve included a photo of our Little League team from 2009 because it’s one of the best memories of my time spent with Harry when we were younger. Harry loved sports and baseball, he was a true diehard Red Sox fan, which is how we really bonded. Although he was limited physically, he was always a huge contributor to our Little League teams, and always an inspiration. One year, he sold the most pancake breakfast tickets, a fundraiser for the Rotary Club, and so our team won an ice cream party, we got to carry the Little League banner in the town parade and were featured in the local newspaper. That was a big deal back then ;-)
From Harry, we all learned a lot about cancer and sickness, but more importantly, we learned about resilience, strength in the face of adversity, and never complaining. He was always upbeat and somehow managed to pull through many surgeries, chemo, radiation, and multiple procedures. Many of you helped us when Harry was in the hospital in grade school when we folded 1,000 origami cranes, a Japanese tradition, given as a symbol of hope and healing.
I have always wanted to run the Boston Marathon, since Wellesley is the halfway point, and I have been cheering on runners my whole life. In thinking about which organization would be most meaningful to run for, I reached out to Harry’s parents, and they suggested Children’s Hospital. Children’s is ranked Number One for Neurology and Neurosurgery and their expertise played a big part in Harry’s quality of life, and enabled him to fight his courageous fight.
Also, I suspect that like myself, many of you have been treated, or know someone who has been treated at Boston Children’s Hospital. My pediatrician is part of Children’s, and a back specialist whom I saw in high school was also at the hospital, so it means a lot to me to be able to support my doctors.
I hope that you will join me in supporting Boston Children’s Hospital by making a donation to my run for Miles for Miracles. Every dollar I raise funds the very best medical care, breakthrough research, and vital support services for sick kids and their families.
Thank you for your consideration,
Owen