Special to the Journal
On Monday evening November 4, 2024, the friends and family members of John T. DiLiegro gathered at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) to dedicate a plaque in John T’s name. The plaque was dedicated outside of the laboratories of Dr. Kai Wucherpfennig, in collaboration with Dr. David Reardon. John T, a long-time resident of Revere, MA was diagnosed with glioblastoma at the young age of 48 and lost his courageous battle with cancer in February of 2022. After John T’s passing, his sister Karen DiLiegro created the John T Foundation in her brother’s name to support research that will help other patients like John T. Through 5K running events and comedy shows, Karen and John T’s friends, family, and community have kept his legacy alive and have so far donated $100,000 to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
of the new plaque.
“We are extremely grateful to our family, friends and to all that have donated. Without your support this would not have been possible” says Karen. “The installation of the plaque at Dana-Farber will serve as a constant reminder to Dr. Reardon, Dr. Wucherpfennig, and their team of why they do their important work each day. John T would be so proud to know that we’ve taken his passions for fitness and fun and turned it into a way to give back to help others like him”.
The John T Foundation will continue to host fundraisers in 2025. More information can be found at https://johntfoundation.com/ or you can contact Karen DiLiegro at [email protected].
The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children’s Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
