It’s Patriots Day!

Under normal circumstances, the Boston Marathon would be held, Jake Kennedy would be running it for the 38^th consecutive time, and afterwards, runners and non-runners alike (including those who celebrate Patriots Day by taking in that rare 11 a.m. start-time game at Fenway) would be gathering at Kennedy Brothers PT on Franklin Street – a.k.a., Christmas in the City HQ – for a beer and barbeque. But these aren’t normal circumstances. Late last year, Jake was diagnosed with ALS. And, of course, thanks – or no thanks – to the coronavirus pandemic, the Marathon has been postponed until September at the earliest.

Weather permitting, the irrepressible Mr. Kennedy is threatening to walk at least a part of the route – while, of course, wearing a mask and socially distancing. Whether or not that comes off, we know that today, Jake will most assuredly be sporting his 2020 Marathon jacket, which the BAA bestowed on Jake with great ceremony when we celebrated Jake’s 65^th birthday in January.  (And if we know Jake, he’ll be wearing an ancient Christmas in the City tee-shirt underneath that jacket.)

The Marathon is typically a fund-raising opportunity for Christmas in the City, and most years we have runners who solicit donations on our behalf. But if you can’t wait until September to donate, why not make a donation today to honor Jake and all the work he’s done over the years to help bring comfort and joy to Boston area families in need – especially around the holidays. We don’t know what this year will bring for CITC. Will we still be observing social distancing? Will the party still be held? There are a lot of questions, and time will tell us the answers. What we do know is that, come the holiday season, we’ll be doing our best to put a smile on the faces of a lot of wonderful kids! We anticipate that the need this year will be greater than ever. You can donate to Christmas in the City here.

Another way to direct a donation is to donate to the Jake Kennedy ALS Fund, which is raising fund for research to fight the good fight to end this terrible disease.

If you want to drop Jake a line, his email address is jake@christmasinthecity.org.

As ever, we are all grateful for your friendship and support.

Until we’re able to meet again, stay safe and stay well.