Concord-Carlisle High School and the surrounding communities came together on September 27 for the 19th Annual Lois Wells Memorial Kicks for Cancer event. It was a beautiful day filled with abundant sunshine, warm weather, great crowds, and tremendous energy!
Founded in 2007 and hosted by the Friends of CCHS Men’s Soccer, the event raises funds to support research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) into the early detection of ovarian cancer. Since its inception, Kicks for Cancer has raised over $1 million—including $155,000 last year alone—and expects to build on that success with donations from this year’s event.
This year also marks a milestone in the partnership between Kicks for Cancer and DFCI, as the Friends of CCHS Men’s Soccer formally established The Concord-Carlisle Kicks for Cancer Fund at DFCI. The fund represents a five-year, $500,000 commitment to support Dr. Dipanjan Chowdhury’s lab. His team is pioneering research on an early-detection blood test for ovarian cancer—an especially vital area since the disease often shows no symptoms until advanced stages. When detected early, however, the five-year survival rate approaches 92%, underscoring the importance of this work, which relies on private funding and community based fundraising efforts like Kicks for Cancer.
What began in 2007 as a single soccer match between Concord-Carlisle and Boston Latin has grown into a week-long, multi-sport community event. In addition to a full day featuring sixteen soccer games, the week now includes:
- Cross Country – K’s (kilometers) for Cancer
- Golf – Links for Cancer
- Volleyball – Digs for Cancer
- Cheer – Poms for Cancer
- Field Hockey – Sticks for Cancer
- Football – Tackles for Cancer
- Key Club – Keys for Cancer
- Ping Pong – Rallies for Cancer
- Student Music Performances – Picks for Cancer
- The Mighty Moose Fun Run and 5K, run in memory of Jenna Swaim, a beloved Concord resident who courageously battled ovarian cancer for four years before her passing in 2018.
Broad community enthusiasm for Kicks for Cancer was visible as soon as the school year launched in Concord and Carlisle. Well before game day, pink and teal lawn signs dotted yards across Concord, Carlisle, and neighboring towns including Sudbury, Lincoln, and Bedford. The Friday before the event, schools were awash in pink for Pink Day, with students, faculty, and staff proudly donning the iconic pink Kicks for Cancer jerseys. Local businesses also rallied around the cause, hosting events and fundraisers to amplify the message of “One Community, One Goal.”
Trish Siefer, chair of the Kicks for Cancer Committee, noted the remarkable community support, underscoring the event’s impact. The Kicks for Cancer Committee hopes that, through its ongoing efforts and the incredible generosity of the community, the event’s greatest contributions are still ahead.
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