Newport Resident Running Boston Marathon In Memory Of Her Father

NEWPORT, R.I. -- On April 15, a Newport woman will be one of the 500 team members running the Boston Marathon for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Katie Humphrey, 30, said each step will be in memory of her late father.

Humphrey is trying to raise $10,500 for the institute, which she credits with helping to prolong her father's life.

"After being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder in 2002, he spent many years in and out of Dana-Farber attending doctor's appointments, receiving chemo treatments, and later on a bone marrow transplant," Humphrey said on her fundraising page. "Dana-Farber was a saving grace for my family."

Humphrey's father Jay passed away in 2010 from pneumonia following a bone marrow transplant. In his memory, Humphrey is dedicated to raising money for the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber's Cancer Institute. 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of Dana Farber's Marathon Challenge team's involvement in the Boston Marathon. To date, teams have raised more than $92 million for the program.

This will be Humphrey's second Boston Marathon. She first ran in 2017.

"The funds raised by all marathon participants are able to fuel some of today's most promising basic cancer research," Humphrey said.

The Dana-Farber team is comprised of survivors, patients and the family and friends of cancer victims. In 1990, the team was one of the first to be recognized by the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the event.

To learn more about Humphrey's story or to make a donation, visit Dana-Farber's website.

"I cannot thank you enough for your support," she said. "Together, as a team, we are headed toward the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer!"