Letter to the Editor: Thanks to Community for Backing Boston Marathon Runner Amy Lipsitz

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — North Kingstown native Amy Lipsitz is preparing for her third Boston Marathon, according to her mother Anne Lipsitz, of North Kingstown. Although Amy now lives in Massachusetts, she started competing in her home town. She ran cross country for Davisville Middle School and for the North Kingstown High Skippers.

This year, she has joined the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge team and is running for her patient partner, Cheyenne Stockwood. Cheyenne was diagnosed with an optic pathway glioma, an inoperable brain tumor, in 2014 when she was just two years old.

"Over the past two years I’ve gotten to know Cheyenne and her family very well and have witnessed first hand the amazing care that she received at the Dana Farber Jimmy Fund Clinic," Amy wrote. "Cheyenne finished her 56 week chemotherapy protocol in the summer of 2015 and celebrated her fourth birthday in July! She recently started pre-K and swimming lessons and loves being in the pool!"

According to the hospital's website, "100 percent of the Marathon funds raised go to the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research, which enables researchers at the leading edge of scientific sleuth work to achieve better cure rates and to enhance patients' quality of life. DFMC took its first steps in 1990 as one of the inaugural organizations in the Boston Marathon Official Charity Program."

"The DFMC team in the Boston Marathon includes both DFMC's roster of invitational runner-fundraisers who are not time-qualified, and others with their own official Boston Marathon race entry. Virtually every teammate has been affected in some way by cancer," the hospital said.

According to Amy's statement, she became involved three years ago because one of her sister's friends died while trying to raise money for cancer research.

"In an effort to carry on her legacy and honor family and friends who have been affected by cancer, I joined the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge," she wrote. She was hoping to raise $10,262 this year.

She has already exceeded that goal, thanks to a recent fundraiser. Her family sent this letter to thank the people and businesses who have contributed. (The letter was edited for space.)

Dear Editor,

We would like to thank the community for their generous support of our Dana Farber Boston Marathon fundraiser! We were so pleased to welcome 115 friends and family to our buffet lunch, bingo, and a multitude of raffle items! We raised $5,500 through the generosity of our generous guests who helped Amy towards her $10,262 fundraising goal!

We know that the community gets many donation solicitations and sincerely appreciate the support.

Amy and her Dana Farber team are continuing to train and we all ask for your continued support in keeping all of the team runners and their patient partners in your thoughts as they run the 26.2 mile course in honor and memory of those who have battled cancer on April 17. To learn more about why Amy is running and follow her journey, please visit her page at www.rundfmc.org/2017/amyl.

Thank you again to everyone who attended, donated, provided food or raffle items, we feel truly blessed to live in such a great community!

Many thanks!

The Lipsitz Family

North Kingstown