A devoted husband and father with a penchant for problem solving — whether on behalf of his clients or his family, Michael Klonsky took action in January 2008, when his wife Toni was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Although the cancer currently lacks a cure, clinical trials offer hope of new treatments, and he set out to help raise money for lymphoma research.
Michael and a friend raised $50,000 by running in the 2008 Falmouth Road Race and, in 2009, he ran again, single-handedly raising $25,000. Michael also became president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Lymphoma Research Foundation. With Toni, he joined the committee chaired by his sister, Stacey Cohen, to organize the foundation’s 2009 and 2010 Walkathons, which raised more than $160,000.
Toni and Michael find that their children William, age 9, and Grace, age 7, like to help raise funds by passing out leaflets at events. They see the determination of their mother, who is taking part in a promising clinical trial and the dedication of their father to solving the problem of cancer.
