Jenna Pettinicchi of the North End in Boston will be running in Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon on Sunday, May 27, as an American Cancer Society DetermiNation athlete. The Society’s DetermiNation program is a powerful and inspiring movement that enables athletes to dedicate their training and participation in marathons, half marathons, and other endurance events in honor or in memory of a loved one with cancer, while raising funds to help the Society saves lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Boston’s Run to Remember will mark Jenna’s second time running with the DetermiNation program. However, the race will be her first time running a half marathon.
Jenna will be dedicating her efforts on behalf of three very special women in her life who have been touched by cancer. Jenna’s mom, grandmother, and aunt all were diagnosed with cancer, and all won their battles with the disease.
Shortly after her mom’s diagnosis, Jenna became involved with the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Relay is a life-changing, overnight fundraising event that gives participants an opportunity to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Throughout high school, Jenna was a Relay For Life team captain and served on the event planning committee. She continued her support at Providence College, serving as Chair of the school’s Relay for 3 years. Today, she continues to support her hometown Relay every Spring.
“American Cancer Society events, such as DetermiNation and Relay For Life, are about honoring not only those who have lost their battle to cancer, or those who fight on as our brave survivors, but also celebrating the strong communities that have helped each cancer patient along the way. Those who gather together to participate in Society events, gather in hope for a cure to end this disease,” says Jenna.
Jenna has raised more than $600 and hopes to raise even more before the May 27 race. Dollars raised through the DetermiNation program enable the American Cancer Society to save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in ground breaking research and treatment discoveries; and by fighting back by working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight.
Training. Support. Inspiration. Fun. For more information about DetermiNation, please contact Katy Meagher at 508.270.4618 or Katy.Meagher@cancer.org, or visit acsdetermination.org/newengland.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
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