U.S. Army Sgt. Gregory Jencks was on active duty during his mother’s first mastectomy and chemotherapy in 1995, and it made a deep impression on him. “She told me it was the worst thing she had ever gone through and would never do it again,” he recalled.
His mother has been declared cancer free for more than 20 years, and Jencks, 48, a Providence, R.I., native, has taken up the fight against the disease in her honor.
A Sergeant First Class in the Army and assigned to the New England Recruiting Battalion, Boston Metro Recruiting Center, in Massachusetts, Jencks and a dozen members of his unit plan to walk in full uniform to support their teammate during the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Boston, the event’s 25th anniversary.
“I have always donated to other teams, so 2017 will be the first time I will walk myself and hopefully get others involved as well,” said Jencks, who supported his first Making Strides event in 2008 in Concord, N.H.
While Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a non-competitive walk, the physical aspect of the event appealed to him. “Running and walking have always been a part of my life, and I love to do it for a cause that I am passionate about, not just to win prizes and medals,” said Jencks. “If I can run and use my ability to help others in need than why not? The thing that keeps me coming back for more is the working together for a cure and meeting survivors.”
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is especially meaningful to Jencks since he himself had a breast cancer scare in 2012. A small lump in his left breast didn’t concern him much at first, but when it grew from the size of a pellet to a pear in two weeks, he quickly scheduled medical appointments. After a mammogram, MRI and X-Rays and meetings with doctors in Boston and Seattle, it was determined to be a non-cancerous growth. Jencks continues to be checked regularly for breast cancer.
“It took a few months to complete everything, and having this thing growing in me after knowing my mom had breast cancer previously, I was not too thrilled to say the least,” said Jencks. “Going forward, I want to do all I can to support the American Cancer Society and the best disease research out there, so no one has to go through the pain and suffering of breast cancer.”
Together We’re Making Strides in Boston on Sunday, October 1, 2017
 October 1, 2017Registration: 7:30 a.m. Walk: 8-10 a.m. More Details |
 DCR Hatch Shell47 David G Mugar Way Boston, MA Map it |
   |