PEABODY — While the pandemic has hit the nonprofit world especially hard, one local charity has learned that one of its most successful fundraisers — the annual New York City Marathon — is back on track for 2021.
The Peabody-based Melanoma Education Foundation (MEF) found out late last week that up to 10 runners have been approved to run the race in their honor.
“This is a major opportunity for us,” said Stephen Fine, Ph.D., MEF founder and president. “We’d been doing the marathon for about 10 years. After they canceled last year, it was tough because we lost all of our fundraising events. Being able to participate this year is huge.”
Fine said at least five people have committed to run for MEF in the Nov. 3 race; another two or three more have expressed interest in committing. Each runner must pledge a minimum amount, which Fine said is $2,500.
MEF was organized by Fine and his wife, Gail, in 1999 after they lost their 26-year old son, Dan, to the disease in October 1988.
Dan, who worked in California, had returned home for a surprise visit during Memorial Day weekend in 1996. Steve noticed a large dark spot on Dan’s back and advised his son to have it checked out when he got back to California. Dan did just that — only to learn that he had late-stage melanoma.
Dan moved back home for treatment, and by late 1997, he was healthy enough to return to his daily routine, including vigorous workouts (Dan had been an athlete, rowing varsity crew at the University of Miami). But in April 1998, the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs and was inoperable.
“No one has to die from melanoma; it’s absolutely preventable,” said Fine. “Like 90 percent of all cases, we had no family history of melanoma. Dan was not a sun worshipper, he had a dark complexion. This all came down he just didn’t know. Nobody taught him in school about how to prevent melanoma. That’s why we felt our focus had to be on education, working with high-school and middle-school teachers to educate young people about the importance of early detection.”
The foundation started slowly with a few high schools on the North Shore. Gradually, operations expanded to include most of New England.
“At that point, we realized we didn’t have the resources we needed to reach more schools, so we put it all online,” Fine said.
The initiative took off. Today, the foundation’s lessons, programs and services are found in all 50 states and at more than 1,700 schools.
The MEF website focuses on giving teachers and students access to free lesson plans, educational videos and general information on early detection, prevention, treatment and the importance of self examinations.
“For people who are not using sunscreen protection, prevention requires a major behavioral change for most people,” said Fine. “Once-a-month self-exams are easier so it is more successful.”
The program utilizes separate videos that are tailor made for middle- and high-school students, with each focusing on early detection. The foundation also provides facial skin analyzer machines to North Shore area schools.
“We can (show) them ‘OMG’ machines. It’s startling to see the kids’ reactions when they see how much damage has been done,” Fine said. “It doesn’t show skin cancer, but the good news is the machines do raise awareness.”
Fine said that while the average age of melanoma victims is in the mid 60s, there tends to be a huge spike in new case detections among those in their mid-to-late 20s.
“When kids graduate from high school, the vulnerability increases tremendously,” said Fine, adding that males are 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed among older people, but the opposite is true with the under-40 crowd.
“Women tend to focus more on presentation, and the numbers may be impacted in part by the use of tanning beds,” Fine said.
Fine said his son’s story is not uncommon.
“We know of other similar families whose children have been diagnosed with melanoma at an early age, in some cases dying from it,” Fine said.
Fine is hopeful the foundation will return to its pre-COVID-19 routine soon.
“It’s promising now that things are opening up and we hope to get back to normal soon,” said Fine, who has been working for the foundation full time since the pandemic struck. “Melanoma is a tale of two cities: While cases are increasing, deaths are declining. If you find it early you’re more likely to survive, but if you don’t, the opposite is true. That’s why early detection is so important.”
Fine’s efforts have been recognized by numerous organizations. The recipient of a 2008 Boston Celtics “Heroes Among Us,” award, he also was bestowed with the 2009 Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce Community Spirit Award and was featured on the 2011 Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center Top 100 list. In 2013, he was granted a New England Patriots Myra Kraft Community MVP Award.
For more information about MEF, or to make a donation, go to its websites at https://skincheck.org/ and https://melanomaeducation.net/.