For 15 years, Team Smile … There’s Hope! has turned personal experiences into support for cancer research

Superheroes of the UMass Cancer Walk, team Smile ... There's Hope!, has raised more than $80,000 for cancer research and clinical trials at UMass Chan Medical School since 2009. The team’s fearless leader, Elaine Urban of Grafton, is a longtime childcare provider who believes deeply in giving back to her community. 

Below, Elaine shares what inspires her to keep walking, fundraising and “smiling” for the UMass Cancer Walk after more than 15 years. 

What first inspired the creation of team Smile … There’s Hope!?  
I first started the team when my sister-in-law was diagnosed with an aggressive Burkitt lymphoma while seven months pregnant, as a way of showing support. Thanks to her wonderful doctors at UMass Memorial Health, today she is a cancer survivor and her “baby” is a thriving young adult. 

I’ve kept the team name because I truly believe that with a positive attitude—including “hope” and a “smile”—along with excellent care, my sister-in-law was able to beat cancer. 

Why is fundraising for cancer research at UMass Chan still important to you? 
I continue to fundraise so that researchers at UMass Chan can pursue better cancer treatments and help more patients become cancer-free.

Far too many people dear to me have heard the words, “You have cancer.” This year alone, my dad was diagnosed with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, my cousin was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer, and my son-in-law was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  

It’s been hardest to watch my daughter, Nichole, face Stage 3 breast cancer after previously enduring both cervical and vulvar cancers. She deserves to see her grandchildren grow up and have families of their own. 

Without the funds to support research, we will never see better treatments that can help people like my daughter stay cancer-free. 

Do you have a favorite UMass Cancer Walk memory that you’d like to share?
It is always incredibly moving to watch survivors, young and old, complete the survivor lap, with high fives and hugs along the way—bringing hope to so many people. 

What does the team motto—“We will walk every year until there is a cure!"—mean to you? 
It helps me and my teammates remember—every year—why we choose to keep walking and fundraising. Each member of my team is a cancer survivor or has lost someone dear to them to cancer—mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends and other family members.

It will be our motto until we hear the words, “We found a cure!” 

If you could say one thing to potential supporters of the UMass Cancer Walk, what would it be? 
I have seen firsthand how cancer affects a family, and importantly, how research and studies have improved diagnosis and treatments. This means that more and more people diagnosed with cancer become “survivors.”  

If you know someone who has fought cancer or is fighting cancer, I urge you to consider joining us and everyone who supports the UMass Cancer Walk!