RANDOLPH, MA- With its iconic chandelier shimmering from every step of a spiral staircase, Lombardo’s restaurant served as a perfect host for the Triple Crown gala to benefit Marisa’s Mission.
“We are a big horse racing family. My dad has had horses forever, down the line my uncles, grandfathers, cousins…everybody.” says Lauren Federico, founder of Marisa’s Mission. That, and the Preakness Stakes, are what inspired her to design the annual gala as it is today where guests wore their best fascinators to support Marisa’s Mission.
What’s the vibe: All your derby dreams came true enjoying bite after bite of Lombardo’s infamous entrees.
Despite the positive energy flowing endlessly around the room, the “why” behind the night’s gathering was far more somber. The annual gala was held in memory of Marisa Federico, who had been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at just 35 years old. In her honor, today Marisa’s Mission continues to support cancer patients and their families during their battle.
Marisa’s Mission is to support patients and families in financial distress due to their cancer diagnosis. “We started it after my sister Marisa passed away. This was her wish to do it herself when she was here going through cancer herself, unfortunately she wasn’t able to do it,” explains Federico. “You have to think about childcare because you have to think about about not only getting treatment but getting sick afterwards, and just the days that you can’t take care of your children because you’re not feeling up to it. You have to think about the medical bills and all of the copays that you’re going to have to deal with afterwards. You’re going to have to think about alternative therapies, and a lot of that is out of pocket. Wigs..the list goes on and on.”
That mission has provided over $930,000 in grants in just 6 years to assist families fighting cancer in paying for things like medical bills, utilities, and childcare so they can focus on their fight. During a magical evening at Lombardo’s, Marisa’s Mission raised thousands to continue to support her legacy.
To learn more about or make a donation to Marisa’s Mission, visit https://marisas-mission.org/donate/.
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Emmalyn Reid 