Students, Parents Honor Danny Williams By Raising Funds To Fight Cancer

A number of local students and parents embarked on a fundraising effort several weeks ago. The group, united by a cause that hits all too close to home for many members, worked diligently throughout recent weeks to gather donations from supporters townwide.

The effort will culminate this Sunday, Sept. 12, with the group's participation in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. Students and parents will walk as part of a team—Melrose For Danny—in memory of Danny Williams, a Melrose student who died in 2008, at the age of 16, after a losing a battle with bone cancer.

Melrose For Danny was created in 2007 to raise funds for Williams, who was receiving treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at the time. This is the team's fourth year participating in the event.

Over the last four years, the group has raised more than $30,000 in donations.

"Danny passed away in 2008, but we continue to do the walk in memory of him," explained Betty Baraw, a Melrose resident who helped organize the effort.

Baraw, whose daughter knew Danny well, noted Williams was a member of the Melrose High School Class of 2010, which graduated last May.

"His class did a lot of fundraising at school, and now, the class of 2011 has taken over," she said. "They're selling t-shirts and getting donations; they're working really hard."

Williams' mother, Gail, participated in the walk each of the last three years, and she plans to do so this year as well.

"I'm grateful; with Danny's class graduating earlier this spring, I sort of assumed it might have been the end of the Melrose For Danny team, but the next class picked up the cause," she said.

Melrose For Danny will participate in the Boston College 5-Milers on Sunday—the event offers teams four routes to choose from—which starts at the college and finishes at the John Hancock Building.

Any local resident interested in participating is welcome, and encouraged, to do so. The group will meet at Oak Grove MBTA station in Malden at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning. 

Baraw said roughly 40 students from Melrose High School participated in last year's event, with the total headcount nearing 90. More than 75 individuals purchased t-shirts.

"We won't know [how many people we'll have this year] until Sunday, but we expect to have another good-sized group. There are a lot of parents who participate, too," she said, noting the group size has consistently been between 85-100 each of the last four years.

To support the Melrose For Danny team and submit a donation, visit www.jimmyfundwalk.org, and follow the instructions under "Support A Walker". Alternatively, donation checks can be mailed to Baraw at 70 Bay State Rd., Melrose, MA.

All checks should be made payable to The Jimmy Fund. Donations will be accepted through November.