Newburyport – Mike Wilson, the Manager of Newburyport’s Planet Fitness, set a goal to run from coast to coast to raise money for children suffering from cancer. He will speak about his adventures and you can learn about Lucy’s Love Bus, at the March 16th Greater Newburyport Village talk at the Newburyport Senior Center. The talk starts at noon for approximately one hour.
Wilson was inspired to make this run because he had seen loved ones battle cancer and heard many heartfelt stories of how cancer impacted the lives of families. The idea to run across America came from his passion for distance running and adventure. Planning to start on April 1, 2021 in Santa Monica, the stroller he was to push with all of the equipment was destroyed in a car accident. When the news of the disaster got out, friends started a Go Fund Me campaign raising $8,000 in two days allowing him to begin the 3500-mile journey on April 7, 2021.
Mike’s 143 day run ended on August 22nd with a massive crowd waiting for him on the Newburyport Boardwalk. Best of all, he surpassed his goal of raising $35,000 for Lucy’s Love Bus.
Jackie Walker, the Deputy Director of Lucy’s Love Bus, will also be on hand to speak about the work of this unique charity. Lucy’s Love Bus, based in Amesbury and helping children throughout New England, offers both outpatient and inpatient integrative therapies to children diagnosed with cancer before the age of 21. A feature not found in many programs is that once you are accepted you do not age out; support is continued as long as you need it. Seeing a need to support the brothers and sisters of children with cancer, Lucy’s Love Bus started a new program in January 2022 called Sajni’s Siblings. In a matter of weeks, a dozen children enrolled. On average Lucy’s Love Bus gets over 60 new applicants per year and supports several hundred children on a day-to-day basis.
The talk is free and a complimentary box lunch is available courtesy of the Friends of the Council on Aging and the Greater Newburyport Village. Call the Senior Center at 978-462-0430 to reserve your lunch. Village Talks are offered by the Greater Newburyport Village for the enrichment of the community; they occur every third Wednesday of the month.
For more information about Village Talks, check the event calendar at www.greaternewburyportvillage.org, email info@greaternewburyportvillage.org, or call 978 206-1821.
