Dialysis social worker Yan Chi Yeung (second from right), captain of the Lightning McQueen Team, gathers with her teammates before the Boston 10K.
Nearly 600 people participated in the Boston 10K for Brigham and Women’s Hospital, raising more than $300,000 for areas of the Brigham that hold special meaning for them. The sold-out event — which attracted thousands of athletes from around the world to Boston on June 23 — is presented by the Brigham, the exclusive fundraising partner of the Boston Athletic Association’s annual race.
Athletes supporting the Brigham had the opportunity to participate in person or virtually and could run as individuals or as part of a team. Altogether, the Brigham cohort of runners included 192 employees and 47 teams supporting more than 70 areas, including cancer, cardiology, health equity, neurology, women’s health and the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation Newborn Intensive Care Unit.
Giles W.L. Boland, MD, president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and executive vice president of Mass General Brigham, welcomed runners and thanked them for their support. Having run the Boston 10K in the past, Boland wished the runners luck and a day of fun while raising money for various areas across the Brigham.
Returning for this year’s Boston 10K was Andrea Baxter, a breast cancer survivor who sought treatment at the Brigham. Her team, Andrea Baxter’s Runners for Life, once again raised money for the Thea Stoneman Breast Imaging and Diagnostic Center at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. Baxter’s gratitude for the compassionate care she received motivated her to continue supporting the screenings provided by the center.
“Last year was the most difficult time of my life, but I made it through,” Baxter said. “If I can survive surgery, chemo and radiation, all while being a mom to my now 3-year-old son, JJ, I can run 6.2 miles and give back to the team of incredible people who saved my life.”
Another runner, Heather Bliss, recalled the worry and fear she and her family experienced while they awaited a heart transplant for her brother, Peter Lynch. Following Lynch’s lifesaving heart transplant at the Brigham, Bliss and her twin sister, Sammie McLaughlin, ran with gratitude for his second chance at life as part of the PJL3 team.
“We owe his life not only to his donor for their selflessness, but to the meticulous surgeon who spent 10-plus hours renewing his life,” Bliss said. “There are not enough ‘thank-yous’ for the care he received at the Brigham.”
Lightning McQueen team captain Yan Chi Yeung, MSW, LCSW, works as the dialysis social worker at the Brigham, supporting patients with chronic kidney disease. Many of Yeung’s patients face socioeconomic barriers to adequate care. As a leader in health equity, the Brigham created the Patients and Families Assistance Fund to make care more accessible, with vouchers for expenses like transportation costs.
“The fund was developed with the purpose of facilitating medical care by providing monetary support to patients experiencing financial hardship,” said Yeung. “Given that my patients have personally benefited from this fund, I felt compelled to direct my fundraising efforts towards this cause, as it could quite literally help save a life!”
For Brian Pedersen, a clinical research assistant in the Division of Endocrinology, Hypertension and Diabetes, running in the Boston 10K as part of the Long Strides for Longer Lives team was a way to honor his mother, Sarah Pedersen, who died of ovarian cancer in 2022. Brian is deeply grateful for the Brigham’s work in early detection and treatment, as well as to the dedicated team who oversaw his mother’s care.
“Participating in this event allows us to give back to the community that has given us so much and to contribute to ongoing efforts to improve patient care and outcomes,” he said. “As someone who works in research at the Brigham, I can attest to the critical need for funding and the ongoing demand for additional resources to support groundbreaking studies and improve patient care. Together, we can make a difference.”
Interested in getting involved in next year’s race? Email team@bwh.harvard.edu to learn more.