COMPASSION
20 years of Mary ' s Walk and the Kerrymen 5K
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For the past two decades a small number of people have met regularly in Saco to plan a charity walk and run to commemorate life of Mary Kerry Libby. Together they have created Mary’ s Walk and the Kerrymen 5K road race.
Together, the walk and the run are one of the largest community-based events in the state designed to raise money to help in the fight against cancer. Gene Libby ' 70, Mary’ s husband, remembers the ideas and hopes that they fueled the creation of the walk and the run. For him it almost seems impossible what they have accomplished together.
“ We’ ve raised more than $ 3 million in the 20 years that we have been doing this,” Libby said.“ In the beginning, we wanted to make a difference for the people of Maine and those who might be faced with the same issues my family face.”
Mary’ s Walk and the Kerrymen 5K takes place on the first Sunday after St. Patrick’ s Day and for many runners and those who participate in the walk, the two events represent the beginning of Spring, a season of hope and renewal. That sentiment is not lost on Libby or the other board members who help organize the two events.
This year the events will take place on Sunday, March
18 and as has become the custom, there will be a guest speaker at Thornton Academy, the staging and registration area for both events, to welcome participants and thank them once again for their continued support. This year, the speaker will be Ken Janson ' 72, a Thornton Academy Trustee, Mary’ s Walk Board Member, and now, cancer survivor.
“ In November of 2016, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer,” Janson said in a voice that reflects the months of treatments and medical procedures he’ s endured.“ We always talked about how important this event was to people, to their families, but now it has taken on a whole new meaning for me.”
Last year, Ken and Laurie Janson( also a board member and longtime event volunteer) started a team in Ken’ s name. They spread the word to family, friends, and business associates and raised nearly $ 10,000 for the Maine Cancer Foundation, the recipient of the funds raised during Mary’ s Walk weekend.
Unfortunately, Janson is not the only board member to have been afflicted during the past 20 years. Tony LeBlanc ' 88, the treasurer for the group, was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer, and like Mary Kerry Libby, he faced this disease with his family.
“ As a cancer survivor myself, this event means a great