On Sunday, April 18, Valerie attended the annual Pasta Party for Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runners. Fortunately, the hosts warned her to bring some tissues for the dinner. What started off as a festive pep rally ended up bringing home the reason that Valerie, her trainer Christopher and 498 others have been selected to raise funds and run the Boston Marathon: Winning the fight against cancer.

"People have said, 'You didn't qualify for the Boston Marathon, so it doesn't mean anything,'" Valerie said, alluding to the marathon's rigorous standards and the exemption extended to DFMC runners for their fund-raising efforts. "How can this not mean anything? This is the most meaningful way to run a marathon!"

That message came home on Friday when Valerie, Tom and Christopher toured the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They met with staff and patients in the chemotherapy ward and learned about the life-saving research and treatment that is being conducted. 

Here is a video clip of the tour and patient visits from NECN Boston news. 

DFMC directs 100 percent of funds raised to the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research. This enables young scientists to test new ideas faster than they could anywhere else in the world - developing more effective drugs and treatments. At the Pasta Party, Dr. Edward J. Benz, president of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, opened the evening with a detailed list of achievements from these researchers - advancements into genetic discoveries that are making a difference in lives today.

Three-time Boston Marathon women's champion, Uta Pippig then joined pediatric oncologist Clare Twist to recognize the pediatric patients from Dana-Farber that had succumbed to cancer during the past year. As snapshots, school pictures and family photos of these brave children flashed on screen, tears fell. 

DFMC also recognized Patient Partners and their Runners - a unique program that pairs pediatric patients with adults who have vowed to complete the marathon for them. All of the children and runners gathered on stage - with bursts of applause when Dr. Twist announced the patients who had been out of therapy for five years.

"I will literally drag my ass across that finish line if I have to," Valerie said. "This is why we're running."

Check out the slideshow from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute tour and the Marathon Challenge Pasta Party.