Our journey has been profoundly shaped by childhood cancer. In response, Bright Happy Power puts together teams to raise funds for cancer research and treatment.  To learn more about cancer, or to find additional resources to support families living with life-limiting illnesses, please visit our resource page.

SEPTEMBER 2009 - BOSTON MARATHON JIMMY FUND WALK TEAM: 15-year-old Sarah (Jessie’s older sister) walked as the captain of our team. She sojourned 13.7 miles on foot with family and friends along the Boston Marathon route on Sept. 13th. Once again, she’s raising funds for Dana Farber in memory of Jessie. Her little sister was treated there for 6 years. She walked alongside two local families whose children are survivors because of Dana Farber’s extraordinary care: Matt Ashley and Kassie Jernegan. Children currently on treatment, such as Connor -- whom Bright Happy Power supports -- are ‘Walk Heroes’ along the route. Link to photos of the event. Click here to SPONSOR Sarah, so she can help other children like her little sister!

AUGUST 2009 - PAN MASS CHALLENGE BIKE TEAM: Our bike team successfully completed their routes. Together, they pledged to raise at least $13,500 for cancer research. (To see photos, click here.) Cyclists on the team included: Chris Doktor (Jessie’s dad) and his daughter Sarah (Jessie’s surviving sister), Mark Hardie and his daughter Sidney, Erica and Matt Callahan and their son Lucas, Linda Behan, and Chandler DeLinks. Thousands of riders rode about 190 miles. Read an interview in the Ipswich Chronicle. The entire event has raised over $25 million this year for cancer research.   (Support our 2009 PMC bike team.)

** See Jessie Doktor in a blue dress and straw hat on her bike in this PMC video.

SEPTEMBER 2008 Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk Team: 14-year-old Sarah (Jessie’s older sister) served as the captain of our walking team, and walked over 13 miles with friends and family along the Boston Marathon route. Together friends in Ipswich raised several thousand dollars for the Jimmy Fund.

AUGUST 2008  Pan Mass Challenge Bike Team: Our bike team made the commitment to raise $4,000 each. 8 riders participated in a two-day ride ending in Provincetown, MA: Chandler, Charlotte, Chris, Daniel, Jeff, Kevin, Mark and Yancy. Together our team raised over $36,000 toward cancer research; the 2008 PMC ride raised over $34 million for Dana Farber’s Jimmy Fund. 

APRIL 2008 Wheelchair Athlete Dr. William Tan raced in the BOSTON MARATHON for the sixth year. He has been Jessie’s champion since the first spring after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Each year, he returns to Boston from his native Singapore and races in her honor. One special year, they crossed the finish line together. Now, William races in her memory and serves as one of the International Ambassadors of Bright Happy Power. In his own life. William has overcome polio to become a physician, cancer researcher and world-class wheelchair athlete. Last year, in Jessie’s memory, he set a world record by completing marathons (in a wheelchair) on all the continents of the world! Read the Ipswich Chronicle article.