On April 21, the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) proudly celebrated the 22 members of Team JAF who trained and fundraised to help New England cancer patients! For those who took to the iconic 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton to Boston, it was a picture-perfect day with beautiful weather — ideal conditions for our amazing athletes to take on one of the most prestigious races in the world.
This year marked JAF’s 13th year participating as an official Boston Marathon Charity Team, and our 2025 team made it one for the record books! Team JAF has already raised more than $322,000 — and the momentum is still going! With the support of our Presenting Sponsor GlideFast Consulting, our Water Stop & Cheer Station Sponsor Henry Schein, Inc., our friends at Boston T-Party, this year’s marathon campaign has raised over $357,000 raised!
Each of our participating runners crossed the finish line, a true testament to their training, perseverance, and personal reasons for running, many of which were incredibly moving and deeply connected to JAF’s mission.
Before race day, JAF hosted its traditional Team Pasta Dinner at Davio’s in Boston to celebrate and fuel our runners. We honored them with special awards: Dawn Deluca, Highest Fundraiser; Laura Laliberte, Unsung Heroine; Emily Parker, Team Spirit, and David Santoro, JAF Ambassador. We were inspired by words of encouragement from CharityTeams founder Susan Hurley and social worker Dana D’Alessandro. Their messages of strength, resilience, and community set the perfect tone for Marathon Monday.
Along the course at mile 17.5, JAF’s cheer station — sponsored by Henry Schein, Inc. — was a lively, welcoming spot for runners and spectators alike. Thanks to Honey Dew, Poppi, Poland Spring, and Bill’s Pizza, we kept our cheer and aid station fueled up!. DJ Julio Sanabia from 617 Weddings kept the tunes spinning and energy soaring as our team prepared to approach the start of the infamous Heartbreak Hill.
Family and friends turned out in force, bringing homemade signs, cowbells, matching t-shirts, and so much love. The largest and most spirited crew? The Lombardo Family and GlideFast team, proudly cheering for runner Andrena Lombardo Silva and honoring the legacy of Mike Lombardo, the late Founder and CEO of GlideFast. True to Mike’s spirit, Mike’s family led by his wife, Jess, and two daughters, brought unparalleled enthusiasm!
Team JAF’s marathon success is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together with heart, grit, and a shared mission.
Special thanks to the following:
- 2025 Bank of America Boston Marathon® Official Charity Program for once again inviting JAF into your program
- Boston Mayor Wu, the Garafalo family, the Frontino family, and Poland Spring for generously helping JAF expand our 2025 team.
- New Balance for outfitting our runners
- Patient Inspiration, Candice, for sharing your story with our team.
- The Boston ‘T’ Party group, which raised $8,000 in honor of a dear friend “T” in support of the JAF Boston Marathon Team
- Our partners at Shaw’s/Star Market for providing fuel and resources for our weekly water stops
- Our partners at CharityTeams for training and supporting our athletes the last 20+ weeks and through race day
Congratulations to our incredible runners — you inspire us all! Please let us acknowledge them each again below – THANK YOU!
List of runners
Melissa Barber
Zoe Bosenberg
Sam Brewer
Kaitlyn Brine
Olivia Carlson
Drew Cooper
Dawn Deluca
Wesley Donehue
Christopher Lake
Laura Laliberte
Chris McDougald
Emily Parker
John Ponte
David Santoro
Andrena Silva
Austin Stradling
Allison Taylor
Chris Tzinmorangas
Kimberly Wallace
Anupa Wijesinghe
Mary Nell Williams
Molly Williamson
