Jack H. Marston II Melanoma Fund and 5K • October 20
GLEN ELLYN–We are in the midst of summer, and it has been great getting out into the sunshine and soaking up some rays. However, I hope you have been using your sunscreen as we still need to be aware of the dangers that lurk in too much sun exposure. Besides sunburns and blisters, melanoma is a true villain. The incidence of melanoma is increasing at an alarming rate and is a threat to both adults and children; yet, research toward better treatment and a cure remains underfunded. The Jack H. Marston II Melanoma Fund organization has been working for twenty years to change that.
Jack’s Fund was established in 2004 when melanoma took the life of devoted family man and dedicated children’s coach, Jack H. Marston II at the age of 47. “I did not want another family to go through what we experienced,” says Sharon Marston, Jack’s widowed wife and the President and Founder of the organization. “When Jack was fighting, there was not much support for melanoma patients. We wanted to change that for families fighting this disease and increase public awareness. Metastatic melanoma is a very complex cancer, with early symptoms that are often mistaken for ‘nothing serious’.”
Jack’s Fund was Established in 2004 when Melanoma Took the Life of Devoted Family Man and Dedicated Children’s Coach
Jack was an accomplished athlete and four-time Chicago Marathon participant, so it made sense to fundraise around running. For 21 years, Jack’s Fund has organized the Annual “This Run’s for Jack” 5K Run/Walk at Ackerman Park in Glen Ellyn, where many families attend to memorialize a loved one lost to the disease. This year’s event will take place in the same park on Sunday, October 20th at 8 a.m. Jack’s Fund is the official charity for the Chicago, New York and Berlin Marathons and many marathon teams around the world have formed to support the organization’s efforts. “A couple of years ago, Jack’s Berlin Marathon team had a family from Australia and Hong Kong participating in memory of their mother,” says Sharon.
Last year the group honored its 20th anniversary of Jack’s Fund with 20 community outreach projects, including donating gallons of sunscreen to lifeguards and pools and setting up sunscreen stations at Ackerman Park, the splash pad, golf courses and pickleball courts.
If you are runner, the 5K walk/run is a fun race to participate in while giving back to the cause. If you are a marathon runner…or want to be…you can choose to be on one of their marathon teams. If you are not a runner and would still like to support Jack’s Fund, they always need volunteers at the races and other events.
