Every April, thousands of runners hit the pavement for the 26.2 mile course from Hopkinton to Boston for the annual running of the Boston Marathon. In September, however, the runners aren’t running; they’re walking to help cure cancer. Mattapoisett resident Ed Talbot is one of those walkers.

Talbot will join the ranks of thousands of walkers who will be participating in the 24th Annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk on Sunday, September 9. The route follows the exact course of the marathon except all proceeds from the walk will benefit the Jimmy Fund and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute instead of the charity of the runner’s choice.

“My main motivation was that my mother passed away from cancer after an eight-year battle so I saw the suffering and I saw the hurt,” said Talbot. “I also have a friend who is currently battling it. He just finished his first round of chemotherapy and radiation so hopefully everything will be okay.”

Talbot is no stranger to the 26.2-mile course as he has completed the Boston Marathon six times and run a total of 20 marathons in his running career. This will be his fourth time participating in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. One might think walking would be easier than running, but Talbot begs to differ.

“I would run it any day versus walking,” said Talbot. “You are on your feet longer when you’re walking and when you’re running, you’re used to a faster pace. Boston is very deceiving. Everyone talks about the uphill portion, but for the first 15 – 16 miles, it’s all downhill so that beats up your quads. By the end of the race, you’re really sore.”

Talbot usually finished the walk between seven and a half to eight hours averaging 16 – 17 minutes per mile. While the course is tough, the Jimmy Fund makes the route as accommodating as possible, providing aid stations and food along the way. But there’s something even more special to be found during the walk.

“It’s so inspiring to see all the survivors along the way,” said Talbot. “There isn’t a family cancer hasn’t affected. We’ve been battling this disease for so long.”

Talbot will join seven walkers from Days Sports Shop in Fairhaven. The team, who calls themselves “Days Sports Spinners,” met while taking a spin class together. Since its inaugural year in the Jimmy Fund Walk four years ago, the Spinners have raised $10,000.

“It makes it much better having a group,” said Talbot.

Even though the Spinners have raised $3,000 so far, there is still plenty of time to donate to Talbot’s team. Log on to www.jimmyfundwalk.org and search for Talbot’s last name to make a donation. Every little bit of money helps in the fight against cancer.

“We are getting so close to finding a cure one of these days eventually it will happen,” said Talbot. “Think of the millions of people it will help. It’s inspiring.”

By Katy Fitzpatrick

Once again, the Rochester Council on Aging will be going through a year-long process to seek National Senior Center Accreditation, under the auspices of the National Council on the Aging and the National Institute of Senior Centers.  The goal is to achieve national accreditation for the Rochester Senior Center for a second 5-year term.  The first accreditation was achieved in 2007.

The first six to nine months of the process involves a comprehensive assessment of the senior center’s operation, which is categorized into nine  different operational standards.  This assessment is ideally accomplished through the involvement of many community friends & partners who are willing to serve on one of the nine standards’ committees.

Individuals are invited to find out more about the project and the process by attending an informational forum, on Thursday, September 13, at 2:30 pm at the senior center. To find out more about the process, its benefits, requirements, and just how you can help, all are encouraged to attend.

If you can serve on a committee, your maximum time commitment may be as much as 20 hours in a year, or as little as 3 hours in a year, depending on the committee chosen.  No specific skills or experiences are necessary to participate.  All ages are welcome.

The Senior Center will serve the community more effectively by re-examining its own programs and services to identify unmet needs and interests, and to plan for the growing demographics as the baby boomers are entering our service range.  This means keeping up with the fast pace of change, including the assessment of what we are currently offering and unable to offer, as well as the overall operation of the facility.

For more information, call Sharon at the Rochester Senior Center at 508-763-8723.

Jim and Maura Stewart of Marion teamed up with Doug and Ingrid Scott of Castline, Maine to win the 2012 Stone Horse Builder’s Cup on Sunday, August 12. The foursome set sail in Stewart’s boat, Pegasus, and successfully navigated the vessel to earn the top spot.

“It was a great day with good wind. Not too much and not too little,” said Stewart. “It’s a very casual event. I like being outside on the water.”

The race, which was held in Buzzards Bay off Padanaram, was originally scheduled for Saturday, August 11, but was postponed until the following day due to inclement weather. The course spanned 5.7 nautical miles and was broken up into six legs. The race started and ended on windward legs.

While Pegasus sailed away with the win, the start of the race wasn’t so perfect for the team.

“We started off not so great on the first leg but once we made some sail adjustments we started moving up. We got some nice wind so we were able to sail much higher than the leading boat and come in to win,” said Stewart.

Stewart said he became interested in boating in the 1980s. He has owned both powerboats and sailboats, but since retiring recently, he has stuck primarily with sailboats. He started sailing as an adult and has never had a lesson.

The winning vessel Pegasus is a 23-foot sailboat that was designed in the 1930s by a man with the last name Crocker. Stewart maintains the boat himself, spending a few months each year preparing the boat for the summer. With an old-fashioned fiberglass look and wood trim, this boat might not be the top choice to win a race at first glance.

“It’s more of a pretty boat than a racing boat,” said Stewart.

Jim and Maura only enter one race each year, but they spend at least three days a week on their boat sailing around to different places. Most recently, they spent 12 days on the ocean after the race sailing up the coast of Maine. For the Stewarts, sailing is more than the titles and trophies; it’s a way of life.

“The best part of sailing is having a nice day on the water and then going to the mooring with a bottle of wine and eating dinner. We’re laid-back sailors,” said Stewart. “It’s a great way to be outside.”

By Katy Fitzpatrick