Walsh, the executive director of the NHLPA, was inspired by a chance encounter he had with Bobby Orr at Boston Children's.
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Marty Walsh had two dreams growing up in the 1970s: to beat cancer and to meet Bobby Orr.
Both came true at Boston Children’s Hospital.
One afternoon following the end of one of his myriad trips to the hospital, where he was being treated for Burkitt’s lymphoma, 7-year-old Walsh was waiting for an elevator.
“I remember it was Friday the 13th, crazy enough,” Walsh told the Globe this week. “And I was going home that day after a long stint in the hospital and Bobby was always coming to visit the floor. I remember when the elevator door opened, Bobby — he was on crutches because he had hurt his knee — and we saw him, and he was larger than life. I guess I would equate it today to seeing Tom Brady, right? Bobby in 1974, it’s like, ‘Oh my God.’ ”
Orr signed a photo for Walsh that day and Walsh, now the executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association, still cherishes the memento, which he acknowledges has been refurbished.
“I had that picture forever,” Walsh said. “I had it for so long, his image started fading. So, as I was older, I asked Bobby to re-sign the picture. I’ve talked to Bobby many times about the impact of him coming to Children’s Hospital and meeting all the kids, including me.”
After years of treatment at Boston Children’s and Dana-Farber, Walsh was declared free of Burkitt’s lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that primarily affects children, in 1978.
On Thursday, more than 50 years after his diagnosis, Walsh announced that the NHL and the NHLPA are directing a $600,000 grant to Boston Children’s through Hockey Fights Cancer and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
The grant will fund the research of Dr. Yana Pikman at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Pikman’s work is focused on pediatric leukemia.
Research and research dollars are critical in the fight against all forms of cancer.
According to the V Foundation, when Walsh was being treated, the survival rate for kids with cancer was about 58 percent.
“Today, the survival rate is, I think, 85 percent, which has really changed because of research, investment in research, and having more opportunities,” said Walsh, the former Boston mayor and United States Secretary of Labor.
Along with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Walsh helped create the 4 Nations Face-Off,
which has been a boon for North American hockey and is a prelude to next year’s Olympics in Milan and Cortina.
“It’s awesome that this is happening this week,” Walsh said. “I mean, obviously the tournament is great for hockey, but a side note is the impact of the $600,000 is a nice grant. And we talked to the doctors over at Children’s and [Dana-Farber], and I would say they’re very pleased, very happy with this donation because it allows their work to continue.”
The V Foundation was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano. The foundation has awarded nearly $400 million across 1,334 cancer research grants.
During the 2023-24 season, the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative raised more than $4 million. Since its inception in 1998, Hockey Fights Cancer, which aims to fund-raise for “cancer research, energize fans, and engage and educate communities,” has raised more than $36 million.
When Walsh talks to the players he represents, he often tells them about the impact his early interaction with Orr had on him as he battled and beat Burkitt’s.
“You’ve got Adam Graves doing it in Edmonton and all across Canada,” Walsh said. “You have the Bruins here in Boston, they often go into Children’s Hospital and see the kids and it’s really uplifting for the kids, uplifting for the family. They’re going through something that’s traumatic in a lot of ways, cancer treatment.
“And so, it’s the connection to Hockey Fights Cancer and the V Foundation was a natural one. And when I came into this role as head of the union, I was obviously very engaged in Hockey Fights Cancer and excited about being part of that. I know it had an impact on my life personally, but I also know an impact as the mayor and other places, seeing players going to these different places.”
