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WATERFORD — A nonprofit that provides oncology massage for free or low cost to cancer patients is looking for sponsors for a fundraising road race on Jan. 7 organized by Kelly’s Pace in Mystic.
Healing Therapies Through Sharing is a 501c3 that was established by licensed massage therapists Nileen Drzewianowski and Kim Twomey, who both received specialized training in craniosacral oncology massage in 2018.
The two women started the nonprofit in late 2019 to help their clients diagnosed with cancer and their families defray the cost of oncology massage therapy.
“As we were talking with our clients, they didn’t have the funds necessary. They’re spending all their money on medications and treatments, and they’re not working and so we didn’t want them to have to choose between buying some food and getting treatment here that would help them feel better, and help them through this process,” said Drzewianowski.
She said that many cancer patients cannot tolerate touch, but craniosacral oncology massage is very light.
“The touch is like five grams of pressure, the weight of a nickel,” she said. “We’re tapping into the cranial fluid rhythm, so we’re working with a physical part of the body, and you’ll feel like you’ve had a massage after a session.”
She said clients pay what they can and the nonprofit subsidizes the provider’s fee, which is $120 per hour.
“If it’s zero, it’s zero. If it’s $5, $20, that’s what they pay,” Drzewianowski said.
Twomey said that this year Kelly’s Pace chose Healing Therapies Through Sharing as the beneficiary of the annual 5-mile Frostbite race, scheduled for Jan. 7. The race had been canceled for two years because of the pandemic.
She said sponsorships help cover the costs of holding the race, which total close to $7,000 for the timing truck, police escort and T-shirts.
“Jeff Anderson who owns and operates Kelly’s Pace asks for sponsors to bring those costs down so that more of the income that comes from race registration goes to the nonprofit,” she said.
Sponsorships range from $200 to $2,000, and include the sponsor’s logo on the race T-shirt. The deadline for sponsoring is Dec. 14.
For more information about sponsorship, call 860-443-0800, or visit Healingtherapiesct.org. Runners can sign up for the race at Kelly’s Pace.