Fall 2024
By Colleen Sullivan
Photography by Jon Straggas
Since 2007, athletes and fans from Concord-Carlisle High School (CCHS) in Concord, Mass., and 17 surrounding towns have come together through Kicks for Cancer, an annual soccer event and fundraiser that benefits ovarian cancer research, led by Dipanjan Chowdhury, PhD, the Svanberg Family Chair at Dana-Farber. The most recent 2023 event was a record-breaking year for the program, with close to 1,000 high school athletes across six sports, ultimately donating $125,000 to Dana-Farber.
The event is held annually in honor of Lois Wells, who passed away in 2007 from ovarian cancer at the age of 67. CCHS soccer coach Ray Pavlik established Kicks for Cancer that year to honor Wells and support her sons Steve Wells, a CCHS assistant coach, and Dan Wells, both CCHS soccer alums. What started as one soccer game has since grown into a full weekend of various sporting events, all benefiting cancer research, giving young athletes a fun, active way to help defy cancer.
“The generosity of the CCHS community and now that of many other towns is indescribable,” said Steve Wells. “Kicks for Cancer truly brings the community together for a great cause, and it makes me and so many others in the community proud to be part of this event each year.”