Winter 2025
By Caitlin Henault
Photography by Henry Morgan
Nearly 20 years ago, Concord-Carlisle High School hosted its first Kicks for Cancer soccer match to honor the memory of Lois Wells, the mother of assistant men’s soccer coach Steve Wells, who passed away from ovarian cancer. Today, Kicks for Cancer has grown into a vibrant week-long celebration that unites the community in a shared mission to honor loved ones impacted by cancer while supporting groundbreaking cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Anchored by its signature soccer tournament, which features 16 back-to-back matches between teams from surrounding towns in a single day, Kicks for Cancer has expanded to include a variety of sports, arts, and music, creating opportunities for all students to take part. In 2024, Kicks for Cancer reached a significant milestone, raising over $1 million to support Dana-Farber.
“Nearly everyone in our community can tell a story about someone in their life who has been affected by cancer,” said Trish Siefer, Kicks for Cancer’s event chair. “Kicks for Cancer unifies Concord-Carlisle—it gives us all a chance to honor survivors, remember those we have lost, and rally to support lifesaving research.”
Funds raised by Kicks for Cancer support ovarian cancer early detection and prevention research led by Dipanjan Chowdhury, PhD, the Svanberg Family Chair at Dana-Farber, largely due to the advocacy of beloved community member Jenna Swaim, who passed away in 2018. Because there are currently no established screening or detection methods for ovarian cancer, it is often discovered in later stages when treatment options are more limited. Chowdhury is leading efforts to advance a promising blood test for ovarian cancer that examines microRNAs, tiny molecules in the blood that may serve as early biomarkers for the disease—helping to predict if women at high genetic risk of ovarian cancer are likely to develop the disease.
“The ability to detect ovarian cancer early will greatly enhance our ability to treat patients effectively and provide them with hope for long-term survival,” said Chowdhury. “Kicks for Cancer is fueling research that has the potential to save countless lives, demonstrating the power of community to drive meaningful progress in cancer research.”
In September, 32 soccer teams took the field for Kicks for Cancer’s 19th season, proudly wearing the event’s signature pink and teal jerseys adorned with the names of loved ones.
“Our dream is to help people detect their cancer early, because if it can be caught sooner, women like Lois and Jenna might still be here,” said Trish. “This event is so important to us, and this research will help prevent us from losing another member of our community too soon.”