Ford’s friends run toward a cure

By John Molori
MethuenLife Writer

As a tough and tireless gridiron great at Methuen High School, Dan Ford made few friends when it came to his football-field opponents. Off the field, however, it was a different story. Ford continues to battle a rare form of urethra cancer, and his many friends in the community have been by his side throughout the struggle.
One of those friends is Malcolm Fulford, a fellow 1988 Methuen High school graduate. Fulford is organizing an April 18 road race to benefit Ford and his battle with this debilitating disease. The impetus came from friendship.
“Dan is a longtime friend of mine,” explains Fulford, whose Remax Prestige Team Fulford is spearheading the race effort. “I’ve known him since the sixth grade and we always worked out together. He’s been suffering from this for a year and a half and I kept asking myself if there was something I could do, something that would help Dan find a cure and make an impact.”
The Dan Ford 5-Mile Run for a Cure will begin at the Fireside Restaurant on Pelham Street in Methuen on April 18 at 11 am. There will also be a 5K fun run and walk. The entrance fee is $25 per runner. The Fireside will host a post-race party and awards ceremony. Fulford has been pounding the pavement and burning up the phone lines to make it a reality.
He explains, “Thanks to the Fireside, Coors Light is an event sponsor. I also spoke to the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce through Dan’s dad, Ron. Ron is such a great guy and he knows everyone. He and the whole Ford family are on the team.”
Ron Ford is a former Methuen city councilor and remains a popular media personality. He and his family wholeheartedly signed off on Fulford’s efforts.
“I went to visit Dan, and ran the idea of the race by his family,” Fulford relates. “His brother Mike and sister Patty are on the committee with Andrew Distefano, Tom Courtney from Remax Prestige, Tim Sheehy, Pauline Lafontaine and Tom Swerchesky, owner of the Fireside.”
Fulford says that race day will include raffle prizes, refreshments and much more.
“Dan Roberge of Methuen manages the band Prospect Hill. They are going to be performing free of charge at the Fireside the day of the race. The whole parking lot at the Fireside will be used by the race that day. The key is to get more businesses involved with sponsorships, donations, and raffle and auction prizes.”
Ford’s illness is quite serious, with a historically high fatality rate. Due to the illness, Dan could not comment for this story, but he remains, as always, a fighter.
“Dan is so strong, and he is dealing with this the best he can,” says Fulford.
“He knows he is hurting. He walks with a crutch, but still works out with weights. He’s still fighting. No one is sure what the future holds. He’s had several rounds of radiation. That takes a lot out of him, but he loves having visitors and talking about the old times.”
The old times for Ford were truly remarkable as a football, track and hockey standout on Ranger Road. He was one of the area’s most dominant running backs for legendary coach Larry Klimas, scoring a combined 16 touchdowns for the Rangers in his junior and senior seasons. In both of those seasons, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark.
Ford was voted Methuen’s Outstanding Male Athlete for 1988. He also excelled in track as a fine quarter-miler and Class B runner-up in both his junior and senior seasons. After graduating, Ford continued his outstanding playing career at UMass Lowell. In 1997, Ford was inducted into the Methuen High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Just as Ford attacked opposing players, Fulford is going all-out to make the race a success. He states, “This is really guerilla marketing. We’ve sent out fliers and met with businesses to help push the race. We have Celtics and Bruins tickets as part of our raffle. The proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society and to Dan’s family to help with medical costs. Proceeds will also go to establishing a scholarship in Dan’s name for Methuen High School student athletes.
“The 5-mile race will begin at 11 am with the 5K walk and run starting about 20 minutes later. There will be beer and refreshments served in the Fireside parking lot. It should be a really fun time for everyone.”
The efforts of Fulford and his committee have been rewarded with amazing response.
“People have been approaching me to help,” says Fulford. “It’s been 20 years since we graduated, but so many people know Dan and want to participate. The Methuen High School graphic arts department has helped with printing the fliers. We hope the business community will jump on board. It’s great to see the community come together.”
As a player and friend, Dan Ford has been uniquely gifted. Fulford is hoping that this race will add to Ford’s already enduring legacy: “I am doing this to help my friend find a cure. Ultimately, if Dan doesn’t beat this, I want everyone to remember him.
“It’s a way to fight back and help others. Dan deserves it. It’s frustrating to watch your friend suffer and not be able to help. This allows me to fight that feeling of not being able to do anything for Dan.”
For more information on the race, visit www.danfordsrunforacure.com, or contact Malcolm Fulford at (978) 994-8926 or malfulford@comcast.net.

PMA’s Brasil is all-time soccer scorer
Jessica Brasil, 17, of Methuen, has been named the all-time leading goal-scorer for the Presentation of Mary Academy soccer team, scoring 45 goals. The previous record of 39 was set in 2004 by Katie Powers.
Jessica was unaware that she had broken the record until after the season was over, and was both excited and surprised to hear it announced over morning announcements.
“I knew Katie held the record, and I knew that I scored 22 goals in my junior year, and I had 15 my senior year, but I did not know exactly how many goals I had over all four years,” said Jessica, who hopes to continue playing in college next year.
Jessica had a fabulous offensive season for the Panthers, playing center and forward. Coach Kevin Conlin has called the two-time CAC All-Star “an excellent scorer,” with 15 goals and nine assists this season.
Steve Stankus, athletic director at PMA, said, “What makes her special is that she has both speed and endurance. She is defended usually by bigger players but seems to hold up against the pressure. She makes very good use of her speed to get herself in position to score.”

DeCola wins bronze
Congratulations to Methuen High sophomore Colleen DeCola, who earned a bronze medal in the 2009 Bay State Winter Games held last month in the Berkshires. She competed in the Female Intermediate-Restricted/Test Track portion of the figure-skating competition.
The 16-year-old high honors student started skating at the age of 5 in the Methuen Learn to Skate program, and says her surprise win was “wicked exciting! I wasn’t expecting a medal.”
Colleen and her nine competitors — who hail from across Massachusetts — had one shot on the ice during the Games. She completed a routine that she’s been working on since the fall, describing the event as “so intense.”
“She smiled the whole time and was very graceful on the ice,” says proud mom Linda DeCola, adding “my heart fell to my feet” when the standings were announced.
Colleen competes with the Skating Club of Andover, and has been working hard with her coach Gillian Bannon for five years.
Colleen’s Bay State Games top-3 placement propels her to the National Games, which take place in Colorado Springs this summer.

Laura’s leap
Methuen’s Laura Moriarty performed extremely well at the recent ACC Championship Swim Meet. The 2008 MHS grad, swimming for the University of North Carolina, placed second in the 400 individual medley and 200 breast-stroke. Moriarty also placed 13th in the 200 individual medley.
It is very rare for a freshman to qualify for the finals in all three of those competitive events.
“It was the most fun I ever had at a swim meet," says Moriarty.
In early March, Moriarty, who dominated the swimming record books at Methuen, will find out if she qualifies for the NCAA Championships in Texas. That competition features the country’s top 32 swimmers in each event.
Says Laura’s mom Carla, “Laura is so happy at UNC. She loves the school, the swim team and her coaches. She is doing really well this semester academically taking pre-requisites for nursing. Her plan is to receive her bachelor’s degree and enter a master’s program for nursing in graduate school.