More than 8,000 people from 28 states will take part in this year’s Jimmy Fund Walk traveling routes from Hopkinton to Boston on September 13, and many of them will have Southborough on their minds.
The Jimmy Fund has long been the official charity of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, and this year nearly 100 police chiefs from across the state will be walking to honor the memory of Southborough’s police chief William “Billy” Webber, who died last November after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Webber’s wife Kathy, son Kevin Webber, and daughter Katie Barry will also participate in the walk. Kathy and Billy had done the walk together many times in the past.
Wellesley’s police chief Terrence Cunningham told the Boston Globe:
Billy was a personal friend of mine – just a wonderful, wonderful guy, consummate professional and a great police chief. This is an opportunity not just for the police chiefs, but we welcome any police officers in the communities to come walk with us to raise money for the Jimmy Fund.
But Webber isn’t the only Southborough connection. About 15 participants will be walking in honor of Southborough first-grader Gabrielius Bazikas who was successfully treated for acute myelogenous leukemia in 2006.
And Southborough’s Jessiman family has put together team Sophia’s Smiles. They’ll be walking in honor of daughter Sophia, a sixth-grader at Trottier, who overcame a rare childhood cancer. Mom Stefanie Jessiman told the Metrowest Daily News:
We wanted to give back to the Jimmy Fund because it’s still a part of our lives. We’re excited to do it, and the kids want to give back and do something.
For information about walking or making a donation, visit www.jimmyfundwalk.org or call 866-JF-1-WALK.
Related stories in the media:
- Chiefs walk to honor one of their own (Boston Globe)
- Family, friends walking in memory of Southborough chief (Metrowest Daily News)
- Southborough’s family team is smiling (Metrowest Daily News)
- Jimmy Fund Walk set for Sept. 13 (Metrowest Daily News)
