Bennett Olson is a Walk Hero for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk

Boston, Mass. — Bennett Olson, 9, of Beacon Hill, has been named a Walk Hero for the 25th anniversary of the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai.

Slated for Sept. 8, the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, a one-day fundraising event that raises the most money of any single-day walk in the nation, aims to raise $7 million in 2013. Since its 1989 inception, the Walk has raised more than $87 million.

As a Walk Hero, Bennett will inspire an expected 8,500 participants, who will walk up to 26.2 miles along the historic Boston Marathon® route to raise money to support lifesaving adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund.

Bennett was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June 2012 and is being treated at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic.

The Walk Hero Program sponsored by Sun Life Financial matches Dana-Farber patients with Walk teams, providing an inspiring opportunity for walkers to connect with children and adults who are being treated for cancer. The Walk Heroes often become a part of a large group of people committed to fighting the disease for which they are being treated. The walkers and Hero families form long-lasting friendships that extend beyond the Walk. Bennett is matched with a team of walkers from The Jimmy Fund.

On event day, Heroes and their families decorate posters and gather on the bridge that overlooks the start of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 3-mile start to cheer on walkers. Along the 26.2 mile route, walkers are greeted by poster-sized photographs of the Heroes, which are displayed to inspire participants to keep walking.

On July 22, Walk Heroes, their families, and the teams walking in their honor, will meet for the first time during the Hero Match Party at Fenway Park. The event provides an opportunity for all involved to get to know each other, enjoy dinner together, and take in a Boston tradition, a Red Sox game at Fenway.

“Walk Heroes inspire participants to keep walking and create personal connections with the miles they’re logging and dollars they’re raising,” says Ann Beach, director of the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk.

To register for the 25th anniversary of the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, or to support a walker, or volunteer, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255.

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