Trio Running Boston Marathon For Beth Israel-Needham

NEEDHAM, MA — A trio of runners will be taking part in the 2017 Boston Marathon to help rase money for Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham.

Nicole Graber, Dora Tavel-Sanchez Luz and Natalie Cohen are all part of the hospital's marathon team and only have weeks to go before the step on the start line in Hopkinton.

“All of us at BID-Needham are inspired by the dedication of this year’s runners and their support for the hospital as part of the 2017 Boston Marathon,” hospital president and CEO John Fogarty said in a release. “It’s quite a achievement to run 26.2 miles, not to mention take on extensive training and fundraising. We are proud to have Dora run for us again this year and to welcome Nicole and Natalie to the team.”

Nicole Graber is an oncology nurse in the Lank Cancer Center in Needham, part of BIDMC’s Cancer Center. This will be her first marathon. Graber said she gets her inspiration from her patients.

“I started my career in Oncology Nursing at BIDMC 14 years ago, knowing that I wanted to make a difference in the lives of my patients,” Graber said. “I could not have predicted the impact those same patients would have on my life. They are more than just patients to me – they are the reason I am running. My fundraising will support the patients in the community in which I live at the hospital to which I bring my own family.” Click here to read more about Graber.

When she isn't running the Farmhouse, a popular farm-to-table restaurant in Needham, Dora Tavel-Sanchez Luz can be found training for marathons. This will be her sixth marathon and her third in support of BID−Needham.

“This is my third time running in support of the hospital and I know this support allows BID–Needham to continue to grow and thrive,” she said. “When we started the farmhouse, I wanted it to be a place ‘for the people, by the people. Listening to our customers is crucial for us to run our business. I know that BID–Needham has that same commitment. It’s a common thread that makes all the difference.”

Natalie Cohen, an undergraduate at Harvard University and daughter of BID−Needham gastroenterologist Steven Cohen, MD, will be running in her first marathon for the hospital.

"I am thrilled to be running the 2017 Boston Marathon in support of Beth Israel Deaconess

Hospital–Needham,” she said. “This year I will be running to give back to the hospital after all that it has done to serve my family and countless patients."

Click here to read more about Graber.

Click here to read more about Cohen.

Click here to read more about Tavel-Sanchez Luz.

Photo Caption: Nicole Graber, an oncology nurse in the Lank Cancer Center in Needham, part of BIDMC’s Cancer Center, will be her running her first marathon in support of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham. Credit: Submitted