Amazing Grace – Making a difference during a global pandemic

Though 2020 was a year unlike one seen in recent times, with many challenges and losses, there were still many things to celebrate in our Jimmy Fund community. Take 9-year-old Grace from Dedham, Mass., for example. Throughout last year, Grace created 1,250 handmade masks, raising $2,600 for the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  In 2016, 2018, and 2019, Grace volunteered at the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon presented by Arbella Insurance, collecting donations during Boston Red Sox games at the Fenway Park event. With that event on hold, Grace knew she still wanted to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients—pandemic or not.

In lieu of volunteering, Grace sewed masks and gave them out for free, with donations encouraged. She focused on her community, setting up at farmers markets and at the free lunch pick up for kids in their hometown. She was inspired to start her fundraiser, “Making a Difference, One Mask at a Time,” by her grandmother, who made scrub caps and masks for the nurses and staff at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Dana-Farber’s partner in adult oncology care, where Grace’s mom is a nurse.  “Grace is such a kind child, and her desire to help others is remarkable. We are so proud of all she has done,” says her mom, Jodi.

Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber staff, faculty, and patients are grateful for the incredible efforts Grace and her family made during 2020, to support Dana-Farber and to keep communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about starting your own fundraising page to support the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.