Help Deb raise money

For the last 3 years I ran The Falmouth Road Race, raising money for The Boston House: Hope and Healing for Children with Cancer.  As much as I am choosing not to run this year (I learned that running is not best for my body), I want to continue to support and help raise much needed funding for The Boston House.

I loved that my family hosted my Dad's 80th birthday party at The Boston House on November 22, 2025!  My stepmom, Toni Delisi, worked so hard on that celebration for my Dad, along with his McDonald's Team of women, who worked on the McDonald's advertising account with him in the late 1970's and 1980's. Toni's roast/ toast for my Dad was amazing! 

This year, I am asking for donations in honor of my stepmom, Toni, who unexpectedly died on December 7, 2025. I'm so glad I captured a photo at mile 6 of the race last year, with my Dad and Toni on the sidelines, cheering me on! A memory I will cherish, for the rest of my life.

Over the last three years, I raised $33,785 for The Boston House. With YOUR HELP, I’d love to be able to raise the bar again!

This wonderful cause has been important not only to me, but also to my family for most of my life. Since 1979, The Boston House (formerly known as the Boston Ronald McDonald House) has served as a home-away-from-home for children with cancer and their families while their children receive the best of care at Dana-Farber Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. As an essential part of their overall care, The House provides its guests with no-cost and convenient accommodations in a safe and comfortable home-like setting. Here, children, families, and caregivers receive comfort and support from staff, volunteers, and other families facing the life-changing realities of childhood cancer and other life-threatening hematological illnesses.

I remember going to The House many times as a kid, when I would tag along with my Dad, a long-time member of their Board of Directors. My Dad has been involved with The House since Day One, when he planned and executed their grand opening in 1979, as director of public relations for Arnold & Company, the advertising agency for McDonald’s.

Please consider making your tax deductible donation, in memory of Toni Delisi, before September 30, 2026. 

And if you prefer to send in an OFFLINE DONATION, you are welcome to send a check donation (with my name in the memo line please, example: “Deb Shafran - Falmouth”) directly to The House and it will get counted toward my fundraising goal. Please send any offline donations to:

The Boston House

Attn: Mike Emerman

229 Kent Street

Brookline, MA 02446

I sincerely thank each and every one of you, in advance, for your consideration. I hope we raise a lot of money for The Boston House! Thank You!