Walking the Walk!

Sunday was the annual Jimmy Fund Walk to fight cancer, this year, with a name change in honor of "Bumpa," who passed away last month. The walkers were familiar faces and the spirit was the same, but there was an extra bounce in everyone's step in honor of Donald Nicholson. Maybe that explains why the pace was faster than normal!

Jackie and Annie (a celebratory survivor) did the half-marathon trek along the Boston Marathon course, from Wellesley into Boston. They were joined at Boston College, as always, by Heather and John. Here, the Fantastic Four give their thumbs up after making it through to the other side of Kenmore Square. (Notice Jackieand Heather bleeding the purple for Holy Cross.)Heather - as always - rocked the best socks of the day, something that didn't go without notice from fellow walkers.And then, just two miles before the finish, the foursome was joined by a surprise guest, on loan from the College of the Holy Cross. Andrew leaped up from the steps of a Kenmore Square brownstone, shocking the heck out of the rockin' walkers!Andrew was determined to make the trek into Boston to support the fam, something he's done every year since the team started the walks five years ago! Here's a hug for his aunt, even as his mother still tries to figure out what her son was doing lurking on the steps of a Kenmore brownstone.Either Annie is getting a congratulatory hug from her husband John as she approaches the finish line, or he's tackling her to keep her from getting into the Gucci store on Boylston Street.Jack's got her two buds helping her finish things upAt the finish outside the Boston Public Library, the Team Bumpa foursome is all smilesProudly wearing her finisher medal, Heather adds some color to the balloonsMy three favorite people in the world, all fashionably Holy Cross.I didn't get the Holy Cross gear memo, but joined the photo line-up anywaysAnd finally, for those of you who were worried, yes, Andrew did manage to eat a smackeral or two at the finish.

Congrats once again to all of the finishers of this year's Jimmy Fund Walk, who helped raise more than $7 million to help fight cancer. But a special shoutout to team Bumpa for faithfully and proudly paving the pavement once more after a tough summer that didn't leave a lot of time for training. You done Bumpa proud!