Spring 2026
By Sofia Elbadawi
At the heart of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund’s mission to defy cancer is a community making a difference–one dollar, one event, and one story at a time. Together, these community fundraising heroes organize events of all types and sizes, raising more than $6.5 million annually. This spring, we’re spotlighting a few of those who are defying cancer in their communities and turning passion into purpose.
The Dustin Strong 5K
Amine Bentahar, a young swimmer from Massachusetts, was shocked to find out his friend and fellow swim-teammate, Dustin, had been diagnosed with leukemia. Determined to help, Amine reached out to Dustin’s father. Together, they planned the Dustin Strong 5K, a fundraiser that would galvanize friends, family, and strangers alike to raise money for Dana-Farber.
At the inaugural event, a huge turnout from the community helped exceed all expectations. “Creating a fundraiser in honor of Dustin was a way to turn a very negative situation into something positive—something to bring the community together,” Amine said.
Today, Dustin is cancer-free, and the mission of the Dustin Strong 5K lives on through the Dustin Strong organization, which continues to host fundraisers to support and honor other young patients fighting cancer.
Coding for Cancer
Self-proclaimed “nerd,” Sherry Knotek, taught technology and STEM classes at St. Clement’s Regional Catholic School in Saratoga Springs, New York. Sherry found Dana-Farber after receiving a shocking neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis in 2021. When she met with Dana-Farber oncologist Matt Yurgelun, MD, Sherry’s fear turned into optimism—“The knowledge he had and the treatment options available for my cancer were incredible.”
As a teacher, Sherry knows young people can support the fight against cancer by turning a passion, like coding, into purpose. She also wanted to teach her students how important technology, and other STEM subjects, are to cancer research. That’s why she decided to host an event called “Coding for Cancer.” The event included Sherry’s past and present students, with participants building their own fundraising sites and coding in teams. Coding for Cancer successfully raised thousands for Dana-Farber, and offered comfort to Sherry, who was overwhelmed by how many students, teachers, parents, and friends participated. Though Sherry is now retired, her legacy of supporting Dana-Farber’s mission to defy cancer continues with the yearly Coding for Cancer event.
Gaming for Good
When Massachusetts native “Wabba”—as he is known in the gamer community—became passionate about video games as a kid, he never imagined his hobby would one day help cancer patients. Wabba, who prefers to go by his gaming moniker, represents one-third of the podcast “Three Dads and a Console,” formed with two of his friends from the gaming community. The three dads are ambassadors for Outright Games, a family-friendly video game publisher.
In addition to sneak peeks of upcoming games, Outright also allows them to support Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. After hosting some fundraising livestreams, Wabba and his friends began partnering with Outright to support patients directly. For every $250 their podcast raised for Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund, Outright agreed to donate some of their most popular games to the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana-Farber. Wabba hoped sharing these games might offer patients a welcome distraction. “If it helps patients or their families, then it’s one of the most valuable uses of my time,” he said.