August 23, 2026, will mark three years since Maura died of triple-negative metastatic breast cancer—a devastatingly aggressive disease that is difficult to detect and treat. This year will be my third Prouty; I will walk 10k (July 11) in partnership with thousands of my fellow community members to raise money for the Dartmouth Cancer Center.
2026 is even more special because Maura would have turned 60 on April 22. To celebrate Maura’s 60th, I will match your contribution dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $2,500. This means your collective $2,500 turns into $5,000. Because this is in addition to the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation 1:1 match, your $50 donation (any amount is more than welcome) actually results in $150 for cancer research. Team Maura can make an especially big impact this year.
As you may know, The Prouty supports innovative cancer research and patient supportive services. Specifically:
- Cancer Research: Funds pilot programs, novel therapeutic approaches, and precision medicine, such as long-read sequencing for AML patients.
- Patient & Family Support Services: Provides complimentary services to reduce stress and improve quality of life, including massage therapy, counseling, and exercise classes.
- Essential Needs Assistance: Offers crucial support such as transportation assistance (gas cards) and grocery support for food-insecure patients.
- Preventative Research: Includes projects such as studying the impact of folic acid on reducing PFAS levels in the blood.
I am very excited to see that Prouty funds were instrumental in a triple-negative clinical trial. This research focuses on the premise that copper, an essential mineral in all body tissues, plays a key role in cancer's ability to spread, or metastasize. The hope is that reducing copper levels will cut off the essential resources cancer cells need to survive.
Here are two ways you can support my efforts:
- Join me! Register for The Prouty today.
- Make a gift to my Prouty fundraiser and help me reach my goal. Click the ‘donate’ button below.
Your investment will fund innovative researchers and clinicians dedicated to finding ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. Prouty funds also provide meaningful patient and family support services including mental health specialists, massage, art therapy programs, and transportation assistance.
I think of Maura every single day. I know you miss her too. Please join me in honoring her memory by supporting this very worthy cause.
Thank you for your support!
Hope starts here. Hope starts with you.
Mark
P.S. Check out the video of Maura 56th birthday in 2022 at a tapas restaurant in Dublin. Maura loved birthdays: https://youtube.com/shorts/szGOu0BryfU?si=oo4uyDh_wpAvdPhS
