10th Annual Seacoast Cancer 5K

10th Annual Seacoast Cancer 5K Weekend

Get Ready to RUN. RAISE. RALLY. And ROCK!

Join us for the 2023 Seacoast Cancer 5K, one of the largest road races in New Hampshire, and step up in the fight against cancer on the Seacoast! This event is a celebration of life and the life-saving work of the Mass General Cancer Center at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital (formerly the Seacoast Cancer Center). Choose from in person or virtual registration options, rally your friends and family and make a difference for patients and families impacted by cancer in our community.

The Seacoast Cancer 5K is a *RAIN or SHINE* event!

September 16-23, 2023 – Virtual 5K (run anytime, anywhere!)
September 24, 2023 – 10th Annual Seacoast Cancer 5K*
* Join us back in Portsmouth on the Pease Tradeport!

Join Us Back In Portsmouth!

The 2023 Seacoast Cancer 5K is back and we’re running in Portsmouth again! The in-person festivities will be held at the Mass General Cancer Center at the Wentworth-Douglass Portsmouth Outpatient Center – located on the Pease Tradeport at 121 Corporate Drive, Suite 100 in Portsmouth, NH. Join us for that block-party feel while making an impact on local cancer patients and their families – and bonus – a much flatter 5K course!

Race Impact

The funds raised from this event underwrite the Supportive and Wellness Services at the Mass General Cancer Center at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. Proceeds from this event are critical to the hospital’s ability to provide these important services to patients and their families.

Team BS

Becky Sherburne is the Honorary Patient of the 2023 Seacoast Cancer 5K.

Becky Sherburne, MBA, BSN, RN, CNML is a lot of things. She’s a mother, grandmother, friend, mentor, community leader, outdoor enthusiast and a nurse. Becky has worked as a nurse at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital for 16 years and is currently the Director of  Inpatient Services. She is a well-respected leader at the hospital and a champion for her staff. But for one Wentworth-Douglass nurse, Becky is also her mother.

“My mom is a fearless leader, ambitious to a fault, caring, empathetic, and full of life,” says Kendra Sherburne, RN. “She is also my biggest supporter and has been my inspiration throughout my life.”

From the outside, Becky is a healthy, very active person. She is an avid biker, hiker and runner and has participated in the Seacoast Cancer 5K countless of times. But in May 2021, things changed. At just 49 years old, Becky was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma and discovered she had 14 tumors in her brain, multiple nodules in her lungs and throughout her entire GI tract. To say the news was shocking, was a dramatic understatement. “It knocked the wind right out of me,” says Kendra. “I think the only person it didn’t stop, was my mom.”

When Becky received her diagnosis, she learned there is normally a four- to six-month life expectancy. Barbara Civiello, MD, Medical Director, Medical Oncology at the Mass General Cancer Center (MGCC) at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital (formerly the Seacoast Cancer Center), immediately talked with Becky and devised a course of action. “She was so compassionate; she cared about me enough to see me on a Saturday afternoon. I didn’t expect that. She went above and beyond for me,” says Becky.

Dr. Civiello jumped into action and arranged for a myriad of tests and an immediate biopsy of a lump on Becky’s back and in her lung. Things moved quickly and the kindness and caring that was shown to Becky by Dr. Civiello and the cancer center staff was second to none, according to Becky. With a positive test for melanoma, Dr. Civiello wasted no time and arranged for Becky to see Ryan Sullivan, MD – an expert in melanoma – at the MGCC at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston.

The news was bleak. Dr. Sullivan told Becky that while there are some newer treatments for melanoma that have shown promising results, she should be prepared and get her affairs in order. It was difficult to comprehend. But through it all, Dr. Civiello and the rest of the cancer center staff have been by Becky’s side. “She has been my champion,” says Becky.

The MGCC has become very important to the Sherburne family over the last couple of years. “When I go to the cancer center, everyone knows my name and the tea I like to drink. The staff are always so kind and caring and respectful of my position in the hospital,” says Becky. “They ask about my family and make me feel special as if I’m the only patient there! It’s the little things that matter most.” Kendra agrees. “The amount of love and overwhelming support everyone showed not only my mom, but my entire family, has been nothing short of incredible.”

Receiving Becky’s diagnosis was understandably shocking for the Sherburne family, especially for someone as healthy and active as Becky. “It was a helpless feeling,” Kendra said. “We needed to do something.” Kendra felt that the Seacoast Cancer 5K was the perfect way to honor her mother’s work as a nurse, her love of running and now, as a patient. “To be so quickly put in a position that we needed care from them, it only felt right to try and raise as much money as possible in hopes that one day no loved ones will ever have to feel the fear of a cancer diagnosis.” And with that, Team BS was born.

Team BS has been the top fundraising team at the Seacoast Cancer 5K for the past two years, raising over $50,000 for the cancer center. “It is the most incredible feeling to give back to the cancer center and the doctors and nurses who have done so much for my mom and my family,” said Kendra.

Two years have now passed since Becky’s diagnosis, and while it hasn’t been easy, she’s still pushing forward and feels grateful for the care she has received at Wentworth-Douglass. “I’m blessed to still be alive two years later with my cancer under control thanks to the wonderful doctors like Dr. Civiello and Dr. Sullivan,” she says. “I don’t believe I’d be here today without the outstanding doctors nurses and staff at the MGCC or the love and support from my family, friends and colleagues.” Becky said. “It’s remarkable. To say, ‘thank you’ seems too simple and certainly not enough.”

Kendra is happy to be giving back to the cancer center in honor of her mother and hopes that her efforts and that of her Team BS teammates, will help other families on this journey and one day, lead to finding a cure for this awful disease. “I think it is safe to say that every single person has been affected by cancer in some way,” Kendra says. “She is why I run.”

And while Becky won’t be running, she knows how important the cancer center is to families throughout the Seacoast. “When I was asked to share my story, I was reluctant as I don’t like the spotlight, but it’s such an amazing story of an amazing place with amazing people doing amazing work. How could I not share?”

Team BS will be back in action for the 10^th Annual Seacoast Cancer 5K and trying reach their fundraising goal of $15,000. To support Team BS or any of the other fundraising teams or to register on your own, visit SeacoastCancer5K.org. The 10^th Annual Seacoast Cancer 5K will take off on September 24, 2023 at the Pease Tradeport in Portsmouth.

5K Philanthropy At Work

Feature: Survivorship & Wellness Program

The Survivorship & Wellness Program at the Mass General Cancer Center at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital supports both the patients and programmatic needs, but also the staff. These needs include acupuncture and massage, visits with a nutritionist, and even exercise classes to boost energy and strength. This program also underwrites the cost of key services not covered by insurance such as education for treatment, nutrition counseling, prevention strategies, and patient navigation. It also supports basic needs for those who cannot afford transportation, gas cards, groceries, or other necessities during treatment.

The vision for this program is to provide patients with an array of services that address the medical realities of cancer, such as potential for late-effects, job loss, and financial burden, as well as educational and wellness projects to help patients and those closest to them thrive. “Survivor” is no longer a term used to describe someone who has undergone cancer treatment, but instead represents a story unique to every cancer patient. With the help of a specialized Nurse Navigator position, patients are guided through the healthcare system from diagnosis through survivorship. Thanks to funding from the Wentworth-Douglass Foundation and Seacoast Cancer 5K, the future of this program has been guaranteed for several years to come.

To learn more about the many ways the Seacoast Cancer 5K makes a difference, please visit our Impact Page.

A Look Back at 2022

We Ran. We Raised. We Rallied. WE ROCKED!

The 2022 Seacoast Cancer 5K raised $372,000 to support the world-class care of the Mass General Cancer Center at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital during the Seacoast Cancer 5K weekend.

The weekend, which included the “Light Up The Night” Community Celebration on Sept. 24 and the Seacoast Cancer 5K on Sept. 25, was held for the first time at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s Portsmouth Outpatient campus on the Pease Tradeport. Previous races were held at the hospital’s main campus in Dover, with the last two races being run virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 1,800 people participated in this year’s Seacoast Cancer 5K, presented by Title Sponsor, Somersworth Nissan.

Every dollar raised by the Seacoast Cancer 5K stays in our community and allows patients to live their lives to the fullest while receiving cancer treatments all the way through survivorship. Your support of this event allows the multi-disciplinary care team at the Mass General Cancer Center at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital to provide complimentary supportive, wellness and integrative therapies to care for the mind, body and soul of patients and their families. These services offered through the Survivorship and Wellness Program make an incredible impact for patients every day!

The White Mamba Returns!

Guess who’s back? We are thrilled to welcome Brian Scalabrine, NBC Sports Boston Celtics color analyst and former Boston Hoops favorite back for the 10th Annual Seacoast Cancer 5K as our Honorary Team Captain! Brian, also known as “Scal” and “The White Mamba,” is always a fan favorite bringing an energy and enthusiasm for this cause that is truly contagious.

At the 2022 5K , Brian stated, “The one thing that really resonated with me when the Seacoast Cancer Center and Wentworth-Douglass approached me was the fact that they focus on supporting the patient and their family. There are many people fighting cancer that worry more about their families than themselves, that’s why it’s so important to have a support system in place for the entire family so they will know how to get through all the challenges cancer comes with. I was thrilled to be back again this year and lend my support and I was especially happy to be able to talk to people in person again and share some fist pumps and high fives.”

Since 2018, Brian has helped rally participants in the Seacoast Cancer 5K in the fight against cancer on the Seacoast. With the White Mamba on our team, we know that 2023 will be another amazing success!

Make a difference for patients and families impacted by cancer throughout the Seacoast with your sponsorship today. Check out our Sponsorship Packet – opportunities range from $250 to $25,000. By supporting this event, your company gains visibility and exposure to 13,000+ email subscribers and 16,000+ social media followers. To secure your sponsorship, contact Judy Pinkham at JPinkham1@mgb.org or (603) 609-6678.