Emily Bourque is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a masters in Occupational Therapy. In the summer of 2017 she will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 49 day, 4000+ mile run from San Francisco, CA to New York, NY to raise funds and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.
BLOG SITE: https://emilyruns4k.wordpress.com/
What is your connection to the cancer community?
My connection to the cancer community started a few days before I was born when my Aunt Janet Bourque passed away following a battle with thymoma: she was in her early 30’s . I have heard countless stories about her but was never able to meet her in person. From these stories I came to know a genuine, caring, fun-loving, risk-taking, beautiful soul. My Aunt Janet was someone who spread love to those around her constantly, and the fact that I never got to directly experience this is something that has always bugged me.
Since then several other people in my life have battled cancer including my beautiful mother who battled twice. I have wanted to make a difference in the cancer battle for a long time, and an opportunity came up for this trip and I knew I had to channel my “inner Aunt Janet” to convince myself to take the risk. Something was pulling me towards this trip and has been for the past three years, and maybe it was her. I believe I came across it for a reason, and am ready to take on the challenge.
Why are you traveling over 4000 miles this summer with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults?
Because I want to make a difference in the cancer cause!
Throughout the trip I will be delivering chemo care bags, distributing scholarships, providing support programming, and completing outreach for the organization to increase awareness of the importance of supporting those who are battling NOW. This is so crucial, because the cure is not yet here. We must support those currently battling while also extending research $$ to find a FUTURE cure for cancer.
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2017 marks the 16th year of the 4K for Cancer sending young adults on journeys across the country in an effort to inspire hope and unite communities in the fight against cancer. The 4K for Cancer is a program of The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF). Interested in joining the fight? Apply to be a rider or runner at www.4kforcancer.org!
Challenge:
Over 70,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer every year. Young adults (ages 15-39) face a variety of unique challenges with a cancer diagnosis including fertility preservation, social isolation, lack of insurance, delayed diagnosis, and more.
Solution:
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With your support, the Ulman Cancer Fund is able to provide free support services and resources for the young adult cancer community including:
Cancer to 5K - a 12-week training program designed to introduce or reintroduce cancer survivors to physical activity.
Patient Navigation - a free program (onsite at cancer centers and remotely through our office) that ensures no young adult ever faces cancer alone. We provide one-on-one support & resources to young adults and their families to help them manage the cancer experience and long-term cancer survival.
Scholarships - a financial assistance program to help young adults continue their education after being affected by cancer through their own diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one.
UCF House - This year UCF broke ground on a “home away from home” to provide free housing for young adult cancer patients, and their caregivers, in East Baltimore.
Your donation will help make these programs and our mission possible!
| Supporters | |||
| Name | Date | Amount | Comments |
| Anonymous Friend | 09/03/2017 | $10.00 | Such an incredible journey for a cause that impacts so many lives! Thank you and congratulations, Emily! | Eileen Peterson | 08/09/2017 | $50.00 | So amazed by you & so proud to know you and support you in a worthy cause | Lou Ann Griswold | 08/03/2017 | $100.00 | Have a strong finish to your race! | Brian Harning | 08/02/2017 | $50.00 | Emily Bourque | 08/01/2017 | $93.61 | http://www.booster.com/emily-runs-4k-for-cancer | Sally Chenard | 07/07/2017 | $200.00 | Anonymous Friend | 07/02/2017 | $40.00 | Run like the wind, Emily! You are an inspiration to us all. | Sandy Moreau | 06/30/2017 | $30.00 | Hoping your journey is going well, Emily! | Raymond High School Unified Basketball Team Bill H Hayes | 06/30/2017 | $100.00 | The entire team thinks you're great Emily! | John and Beth Lamontagne | 06/15/2017 | $50.00 | Emily Bourque | 06/14/2017 | $446.91 | ejt62@unh.edu | Leslie Tufts | 06/06/2017 | $30.00 | Matt says "Go Emily" - He says he couldn't run that far but he loves to run - we all will be thinking of you. | Kathleen Procek | 06/05/2017 | $30.00 | From the bottom of my heart, thank you for doing this. You have always had such a large and kind heart for people who need support. You are a role model for so many. | Ronald Owen Preble | 06/03/2017 | $200.00 | Mikie Markle | 05/29/2017 | $100.00 | You go, girl ! So proud of you, Emily. | Lisa Martens | 05/29/2017 | $100.00 | Sharon Pieronek | 05/29/2017 | $40.00 | Chelsey Serrano | 05/26/2017 | $70.00 | Emily, I can't wait to follow your trip across the country. Thank you for dedicating days to two shining people in my life- my beautiful grandma and my eternal running partner Marina! Can't wait to hear about every mile of this trip! | Rosemary Berube | 05/25/2017 | $50.00 | Daniel Serrano | 05/21/2017 | $100.00 | Emily , we are so inspired by your passion, big dreams, confidence in taking this on, and appreciate you sharing your journey with all of us who care about you and cancer research. Thank you for dedicating a day to my Mom. | Janice Mutschler | 05/19/2017 | $50.00 | Emily, You are an amazing woman with a heart of gold! I am in awe of you and the person you have become. I'll have you in my thoughts and prayers as you make this incredible journey across the United States. Best, Janice | Debra Smith | 05/19/2017 | $50.00 | Your spirit and dedication to this challenge is inspirational! | Stephanie Sykes | 05/18/2017 | $40.00 | I'm so proud of you for being such a strong woman with such an unlimited devotion to helping others. Can't wait for you to shine and inspire others across the country for such an impactful cause! | Melanie Riley | 05/11/2017 | $50.00 | Cheryl A Gendron | 05/11/2017 | $100.00 | Deb Genthner | 05/08/2017 | $50.00 | Good luck on your journey Emily! My husband is a 5 year cancer survivor and my friend Cheryl has also been battling the horrible cancer this year! Thank you for your efforts- I look forward to (virtually) following you during the summer! | Deborah Gadwah-Lambert | 04/24/2017 | $20.00 | Good luck to you. Have fun and safe travels!! | Liz Chipman | 04/21/2017 | $100.00 | Good luck, Emily! | Kathryn Nichol | 04/20/2017 | $20.00 | Emily Bourque | 04/19/2017 | $50.00 | Nancy Husarik | 04/18/2017 | $50.00 | It's so impressive that you are doing this, Emily. Good luck and Best Wishes!! Enjoy! Nancy | Ray and Nancy Pelton | 04/18/2017 | $100.00 | Emily - My Dad fought Stage IV Melanoma for 4 years. We miss him every day. Thank you for everything you do to support cancer patients and their families. | Mike & Maura Slavin | 04/17/2017 | $25.00 | Thank you, Emily, for dedicating a day to Marina (even though she's not a victim of cancer). Hope the run is an empowering experience for you! | Emily Bourque | 04/13/2017 | $20.00 | Sue Aballo | 04/11/2017 | $50.00 | Janet will be with you all the way! What a great way to honor her. | Kerryellen Vroman | 03/31/2017 | $100.00 | Maya Angelo said 'At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel. I think it is both doing and feeling that counts. Emily thank-you for your journey across the US; for each day remembering our people whose lives were claimed by cancer and for raising money to make the day to day challenges a little easier for young people with cancer. | Lauren Cole | 03/26/2017 | $50.00 | "Cancer may have started this fight, but we'll FINISH it!" | Katelyn Alfano | 03/23/2017 | $50.00 | The Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation | 03/23/2017 | $1,335.00 | From all of us here at Ocean State Job Lot, we're proud of you Emily! | David and Alicia Buono | 03/23/2017 | $25.00 | Anonymous Friend | 03/23/2017 | $50.00 | Your Dad and Mom are so proud of you. What you have accomplished is inspiring | Moriah Geer | 03/10/2017 | $50.00 | Emily, I am so impressed with your decision to take this journey. It's going to be an incredible experience and I'm sure you're going to grow in ways you can't imagine. I'll be cheering for you. I too had an aunt who died of cancer before I was born. Her name was Sherri and she died of a brain tumor when she was 16. I grew up hearing stories about her and have always mourned the fact that I never knew her. | Tina DePaolo | 03/05/2017 | $50.00 | I've run 200 mile 12 man relays, but this is amazing! And for such a great cause. You are an inspiration. You make me proud of the youth today. Good luck and great running!! | Judy Phillips | 03/04/2017 | $250.00 | Best wishes, Emily. Thank you for making this journey to help others meeting this challenge. God bless you. Judy | Caroline Sennott | 03/02/2017 | $50.00 | Chantal Filiau | 03/02/2017 | $25.00 | In honor of my aunt who was a fighter and battled kidney cancer and is now persevering and not letting anything get in her way of happiness. What you are doing is great Emily! I support you so much in your journey! | Leslie Smith | 03/01/2017 | $100.00 | My mother, Sue, was taken too young by pancreatic cancer, but she maintained her kind and faithful spirit throughout her life. You mirror her spirit and I am so proud of your devotion and effort on behalf of all those that are battling cancer! | Jenna and Elaine Merritt | 03/01/2017 | $100.00 | Never stop running! Good Luck | Catherine Ayres | 03/01/2017 | $100.00 | In loving memory of a wonderful man, who lost his "24 year cancer battle" today | Emily Bourque | 02/27/2017 | $100.00 | Littlefield Tennis | 02/27/2017 | $200.00 | What an amazing thing to do. Good luck, Emily! | Peg Donovan | 02/23/2017 | $25.00 | Vanessa Swasey | 02/14/2017 | $100.00 | Catherine M Porter | 02/14/2017 | $250.00 | We are so proud of you for taking this amazing journey! ~Love, Cati, Jim, Jeff, and Luci | Anonymous Friend | 02/11/2017 | $50.00 | Sheryl Lamontagne | 02/10/2017 | $100.00 | I will be following your blog Emily, you certainly are following in Aunt Janets footsteps and we all will be thinking of you. | Erica Marino | 02/09/2017 | $100.00 | This is such and amazing feat and what a great experience! Thank-you for taking this on and raising awareness for such a great cause. We will be with every step of the way cheering you on! Good Luck Emily! | Kerri Hughes | 02/09/2017 | $20.00 | Debbie Jankowsky | 02/09/2017 | $25.00 | I admire you so much for what you are doing! Thank you for raising awareness and supporting those who are currently battling. We will be with you in spirit! | Peter Alfano and Jenny Lam | 02/09/2017 | $20.00 | Good luck with your run! Thanks for supporting a great cause! | Jaclyn Jensen | 02/08/2017 | $25.00 | Good luck Emily!! You're going to do so well! | Ronald J Bourque | 02/07/2017 | $100.00 | Jason Lamontagne | 02/07/2017 | $50.00 | Such an amazing adventure, and for one of the worthiest of causes! Best of luck...all of your PA relatives will be rooting for you! | Christina Arbogast | 02/05/2017 | $25.00 | Good luck!! This is amazing what you're doing!! | Gene Harning | 02/05/2017 | $500.00 | Emily, you never cease to amaze me. It may be a physical challenge, push yourself beyond your limits. Think of us as members of your crew team, if you don't give up then you'll never let us down. | Amy Phelan | 02/04/2017 | $25.00 | Thanks Emily! You are the best. | Michael Constance | 02/02/2017 | $25.00 | Great job Emily, good luck with the run! | Jacqueline Jean | 02/01/2017 | $50.00 | Jason Chevrefils | 02/01/2017 | $50.00 | "Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak"....May the Force be with you | Melissa Patterson | 01/31/2017 | $100.00 | Thank you for sharing your journey! | Marc McCabe | 01/31/2017 | $50.00 | Sometimes you get to choose your battles, and sometimes they choose you! RUN HARD!!!! | Miranda Comiskey | 01/25/2017 | $50.00 | Emily, Best of luck in this journey. You are an inspiration in your constant support of those affected by cancer. -Ms. Comiskey | Sandy Bourque | 01/24/2017 | $100.00 | Good Luck you crazy kid--love you so much, you are so amazing | Jack and Cyndi Driscoll | 01/24/2017 | $25.00 | Jack is a stage IV melanoma survivor. Our spirits will be with you on your journey. Good luck and God bless you, Emily! | Jane STECKOWYCH | 01/24/2017 | $50.00 | Best wishes and thanks! | Richard Clattenburg | 01/24/2017 | $25.00 | It was a pleasure working with you last fall in clinic. | Alice Cashin | 01/24/2017 | $50.00 | Heather is my niece she was only 20 months old when leukemia took her from us. She would be 28 today. | Emily Bourque | 01/21/2017 | $100.00 |
| Total | $7,390.52 | ||