NSMC News Releases

Kevin Noyes Chairman, 2011 North Shore Cancer WALK

People always called my father, Bob, “the quiet Noyes.” Gentle and hardworking, my dad was never one to complain—not when he began treatment last year at the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center for his third bout of lung cancer and not even when it became clear that the disease would take his life.

So, when I was asked to chair the 2011 North Shore Cancer WALK, I couldn’t think of a better way to honor my father’s memory or the compassionate care he received at NSMC. I also wanted to do what I could to pay tribute to the courage of cancer survivors like my mother and cousin and to patients and families throughout the North Shore whose lives have been touched by cancer.

I’ve been involved in the Cancer WALK for 12 years as Director of the Danversbank Charitable Foundation. Each year, I’ve been struck by the outpouring of community spirit and support. As the years have gone on and my own family has been touched by cancer, I’ve gained a firsthand understanding of the difference the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center and its expert care team make every day.

My goal is to make this year’s Cancer WALK the most successful yet. We’re building off the momentum of last year’s WALK with our 2nd annual Taste of the North Shore event on DATE (where my wife and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary!). And we’re working to grow the 5K Cancer RUN we introduced in 2010.

This year’s WALK will be a very special one for me and for my family, and I know the day will bring a mix of emotions. I’ll be missing my father, but I’ll also be grateful for the life-saving care that so many of my family members, colleagues, and neighbors have received thanks to NSMC.

During my father’s treatment, my son Ben wrote a poem in his honor. Called “Cancer Soldier,” it includes this passage, which perhaps best sums up the reason I’m so proud to be a part of the Cancer WALK: