Community Joins Together to Crack the Code for Cancer Research and Lend Support for Church

Approximately 300 runners and walkers gathered on the grounds of Vonage headquarters in Holmdel, NJ in April to participate in Crack the Code!, an event designed to help support the fight against breast cancer, as well as to assist in the Holmdel Community Church’s project to upgrade and restore its historic buildings. The turnout would have been impressive any event, but for this inaugural fundraiser, it was even more remarkable. 

It was a beautiful, yet chilly, day for the 5K run, one mile walk, and children’s races that made up the event’s agenda. The course through the Vonage property and the surrounding neighborhood was fast and relatively flat, and the runners seemed to enjoy it. The venue at Vonage was terrific, with more than adequate parking, which can be a real issue at some 5K races. Trophies were awarded to the top three male and female finishers, along with additional awards to the top ten male and female finishers and the children’s race finishers.

Crack the Code! was the brainchild of race director Janet Clapp, a Holmdel Community Church parishioner who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Grateful for the support and compassion that was offered by the church community, she decided to return the favor as soon as she was able. An avid runner, it seemed only natural to establish a 5K race. Once the word got out, the applications began pouring in, and the event was off and running to great success!

In her welcome speech that morning, Ms. Clapp expressed her thanks to everyone for attending, with special thanks to Jaime Hengee, Meghan Shaw, Joe Dyer, and the rest of the Vonage crew who helped to make the event a reality. She also thanked various members of the Jersey Shore Running Club, who contributed their expertise, including Dave Zurheide, Jim Segal, and John MacGuillivray.

She went to explain her own personal story, and the path that had led her to the day’s endeavor. “I had breast cancer. I didn’t like it, nor did the 2.5 million people who suffered through it before me. Did you know that one in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime? Pretty astounding odds. Left untreated, this disease will kill you.” The treatment, she pointed out, can often prove to be as daunting as the disease itself. “The cure for this disease is, to borrow a phrase, a long and winding road. For most, the stops along that road may include multiple surgeries, endless rounds of chemotherapy, and long periods of daily radiation. It is no wonder that the medical community has coined the phrase ‘survivor’ for those who make it through. The experience leaves its stamp on both the patient and their loved ones. Life goes on, but it is frequently irrevocably changed.”

Ms. Clap also introduced Dr. Susan Domchek of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, who has proven success in curing breast cancer with pills and vaccines, and who came to participate in the race. Everyone was encouraged to visit the center’s table in one of the nearby tents, to find out more about her research and ways to help crack the code of a cure for cancer. 

Ms. Clap then spoke about the Holmdel Community Church, whose motto is “Whoever you are, wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” She recalled how, during her time of need, congregation members provided meals for her family for over six months, beautiful fellowship, supportive hugs, and lots of hand holding – perhaps a small but poignant sampling of the vast number of programs and services that the church provides to so many throughout the year. The pastor, Reverend Rusty Eidman-Hicks, was also participating in the Crack the Code! event, and all were invited to visit the church’s table, as well, to see the plans in store for the building project.     

Then the races began and, together, the participants raced towards the finish, perhaps crossing the line individually but working towards a common goal. Reflecting on the day afterwards, Ms. Clapp commented, “Besides the funds raised, the other thing that is so important is that the event was such a success in raising community spirit. For instance, my husband Peter was working the post-registration table, and he witnessed a Holmdel High School baseball player recruiting and calling fellow male and female athletes on site at the table to get out there and join him in the run. There was a big community spirit in the church, too, as so many of the water stop and course marshals were church members.”