Charlie Capalbo was a Fairfield hockey player who fought cancer four times over five years.
He died in 2022 at just 23, but his legacy lives on - his family and community have spent years raising money for pediatric cancer research at Dana-Farber.
And this year, the
Capalbo Strong Walk is coming home to Fairfield, with a new route and a new starting point at Jennings Beach.
The 15-mile course is designed as a loop, so participants can join for one 5-mile lap, two laps or go the full distance.
Charlie's dad, Anthony invites the whole community to take part.
"If you can't sign up, there is still room for you to volunteer - many local businesses have signed on to sponsor," he says.
Charlie's mom, Jennifer, says this event brings Charlie home.
"When Charlie was at end of life and the doctors told him that there was nothing more they could do for him, he accepted it and he said he wasn't afraid, but he really wanted other kids to have a better shot. And I don't know that he specifically said, I want you guys to go out and walk a marathon every year. But he really did want us to continue to find a way to raise funds to help other kids," she says.