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When I was asked to be the Executive Sponsor for Team Schneider Electric for the 2019 Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, I was honored. Like far too many of us, cancer isn’t six degrees of separation for me. It’s affected family members, friends, and colleagues. Across Schneider Electric colleagues from the Boston, Andover, West Kingston and Foxboro campuses came together to support this common cause. Through local office activities like raffles, lunch n’ learns and dunk tank fun, we raised close to $100K.
There is a lot going on in the world today, political strife, diversity and inclusion issues, and at the forefront the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. All equally important, but in light of all that, cancer does not stop and the funds need to support research are as important as ever.
Therefore, I am again taking on the role of Executive Sponsor and participating in the 2020 Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk: Your Way; with a personal goal to raise $10,000.
The walk is also being Sponsored by Schneider Electric, in its continued promotion that Life is On.
Most notably, is that between August 10 and August 16, if the entire Jimmy Fund Walk community can collectively raise $100,000 – Schneider Electric will donate an additional $20,000!
The walk will obviously look a little different this year, first and foremost being virtual, due to the pandemic but this has allowed the Jimmy Fund team to pivot and change the structure a bit.
Corporate Challenge
As you have hopefully heard, the Jimmy Fund Walk: Your Way will be taking place in cities, towns, and neighborhoods all over the world on Sunday, October 4, and we are relying on the support of our corporate community to ensure that this year’s event, although different, will still provide much needed funding for the research and patient care initiatives at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The 2020 Corporate Challenge will run for the entire month of September. Teams will be awarded points for every task or challenge they complete. A Jimmy Fund Walk staff member will confirm and award the team the appropriate amount of points based on the task completed. The team with the most amount of points at the end of the challenge will take home the coveted Corporate Challenge award.
The 2020 Walk
So here’s what’s special about this year’s Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk:
- Because this year’s walk is virtual, friends and family from all over the world can participate
- A lower fundraising minimum makes the walk more accessible than ever
- Ultimately, The virtual walk provides a strong community and support system for the patients and families, due to the fact that all Jimmy Fund face-to-face events are postponed
Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the everyday operations at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Here’s why Dana-Farber needs funding more than ever this year:
- To provide the resources necessary to keep our cancer patients safe and to prevent infection, including added protective equipment, procedures, and staffing
- To offset the cost of implementing telemedicine technology that allows our patients and their families to meet with their Dana-Farber care team virtually
- To help relieve pressing financial strains felt by patients, their partners, and caregivers
This is a great cause and one that I hope the Schneider Electric Community will continue to support the Jimmy Fund walk.
UPDATE! We put the Jimmy Fund to the challenge to collectively raise $100,000, and if they did, we at Schenider Electric would donate an additional $20,000. They did it! They raised over their original $100,o00 amount so Schneider increased the gift to $30,000 to this year’s Jimmy Fund Walk!
We’re glad to be part of a great initiative and cause to help people all over.
Schneider Electric gives back, supports, and helps the communities we find ourselves in. If you’d like to learn more about what we do check out our efforts and sustainability initiatives.
About the Author
Matthew Carrara is Vice President Process Instrumentation & Analyzers for Schneider Electric. He has a demonstrated history of working in the space of process instrumentation and controls and analyzers. He earned an Executive Masters in Business Administration from Northeastern University – Graduate School of Business Administration. Matthew focuses on strategy, acquisitions, sales & channel management, product development, marketing, and operational delivery. With a passion around philanthropic service, Matt was nominated as Schneider Electric’s Executive Sponsor for the 2019 and 2020 Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk.
