Market: Boston

Athlete: Robert Pierce, BNY Mellon Wealth Management 

Cancer is a diagnosis and journey that no one should have to endure, let alone a child who has yet to experience so much of what life has to offer. Yet, on the few occasions I have met a young boy or girl battling this devastating disease, I have come away amazed at the positive disposition they carry with them. The most recent such experience was a St. Jude's Children's Hospital fundraiser where I was able to meet a child and his family who were battling cancer. I left the experience wondering what I could do to make a small impact on the lives of this family and others in the same position. A few months later, Tom McCarthy reached out to me with the idea of competing athletically to raise money for children in need. How could I say no? The D10 was just the opportunity I was looking for, and I jumped at the chance to do my part.

I grew up playing sports and continued to do so through college, before taking my spot, like the rest of us, seated before a computer. While I continued to participate in pickup and men’s league games, those slowly became less frequent, and I evolved (devolved?) into strictly a gym “athlete.” I was less active and more stationary than ever before, what reason could there possibly be for me not to perform as my 21 year old self did? Before I knew it, game day had arrived, and I was a few 400m and 800m sprints shy of where I had planned to be. Needless to say, I was hoping for some forgiving weather to balance out my shortcomings. Naturally, the forecast called for, and delivered on, a 95 degree scorcher (I don’t even want to take a stab at the temperature on the turf field, out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes). Despite not performing up to the standards I had set for myself in a few of the running events, how could one be disappointed when you’re surrounded by your peers working together to help a group of children who deserve a second shot? It is truly an experience that makes you forget about yourself for a few hours and focus on what you can do for someone else.

Together, we raised over $100k for a charity that has collectively raised over $7 million since 2009. 2016 was my first experience participating in The D10, but I am confident that it will not be my last. The experience provided by The D10 staff was a first-rate effort, providing everything we could have asked for in order to perform to the best of our abilities and raise as much money as possible for Dana-Farber. Making a difference for a top-notch charity and organization was genuinely humbling, exciting, nerve-racking, and gratifying. I already have July 22nd, 2017 marked on my calendar. Let the preparation begin.

Bring It, 

Robert