SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Taking part in a walk to raise money for the Jimmy Fund was Springfield resident Mike Borecki. 22News spoke to Borecki about why he did the walk in honor of the Jimmy Fund.
“I fight for the people that can’t, that’s my fire and if I ever had something wrong, I’d hope there be someone like me, for me. We need each other,” said Borecki. “I’ve seen friends, family, and people deteriorate from cancer and that’s what makes me ill. And when I see that, there is kind of like flex my muscles and say, ‘I gotta do something’ moment.”
His walk Sunday began at Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday. Continuing his walk, he went down Windsor Street, crossed East Street and went over the Ludlow and Indian Orchard bridge.
Afterward, he traveled down Parker Street, the longest stretch, followed by Wilbraham Road and Plumtree Road. He then walked from Sumner Avenue to White Street, then Fountain Street, and finally ended up at his house by Wesson Street.
As he was walking with his Jimmy Fund gear, people who knew him honked at him and waved. His walk ended up being 12 to 13 miles of walking distance and took two hours and 46 minutes to finish. But this isn’t Borecki’s first walk and certainly won’t be his last. It was Borecki’s 4th year in completing the walk at 68-years-old.
Borecki has also had heart surgery in the past and has a stent in his main artery to prevent it from closing it up again. Walks like these help him stay healthy and be a motivation for others.
With each walk he takes, he aspires to bring positive hope and continue to inspire others to join him on this endless journey.
It has been 30 years since Borecki began supporting the Jimmy Fund. In continuation of his support, about 20 years ago, Borecki also created a 501c non-profit called Ours Sister with his best friend Tommy. The Our Sister’s is in memory of the sisters they each lost to cancer.
His daughter, Theresa Borecki now helps him run it. Theresa said, “cancer has been something that has had a lasting personal affect on our families and we wanted to do something to ensure that their legacies would live on forever,”she said. Over the course of the last 20 years or so, we have raised countless funds, that we donated to Dana Farber and The Jimmy Fund through Our Sister’s and the Western Mass Council of The Jimmy Fund.”
They work with the Western Mass Council of the Jimmy Fund. The council helps them gather the funds raised and cut a check to be mailed to the Jimmy Fund. This isn’t completed until all their annual events and fundraisers are completed. Over the years they have run 5k’s, golf tournaments, wine tastings, and bus trips to see the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, and other various sporting venues.
She adds, “through the connection to Dana Farber, from the Jimmy Fund and Our Sister’s, we anticipate the vision of ensuring that cancer becomes a chronic condition, maintained and minimized through medical advances vs the terminal disease it has been labeled in the past. The science behind all of it is remarkable and top of the line at Dana Farber. “
The current amount of money that has been raised is $5,000 and continues to grow. All the money that is raised goes into the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. In which, he will be attending with his other daughter, Darcie Borecki, on October 2.
