Mighty Moose fundraiser helps put early cancer detection into practice
Mighty Moose and Kicks for Cancer have funded research into a new early-detection test for ovarian cancer.
You may have seen a Mighty Moose yard sign and wondered what it’s about. Here’s the story.
The Mighty Moose Fun Run/Walk honors Jenna Swaim, who lost her courageous four-year battle with ovarian cancer in 2018, at age 43. Inspired by Jenna’s Alaskan roots and her love of fun and strength, the event was her vision: a way to unite our Acton-Carlisle community around preventing ovarian cancer. It’s held each September on the Sunday of the weekend of Kicks for Cancer, the fundraiser started in 2007 by the Acton-Carlisle High School soccer team and coaches Ray Pavlik and Steve Wells.
Every dollar raised has gone toward real scientific progress for early detection for ovarian cancer. For years, the Mighty Moose and Kicks for Cancer have helped fund the MiDe Study, which started right at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. This study is centered around developing a new early-detection test for ovarian cancer using microRNA technology — critical work, since this disease has the highest mortality rate of any female reproductive cancer, largely due to late diagnosis.
This year marks a turning point: We’ve moved from developing the test to helping implement it. Your 2026 donations will fund the ORBIT Study, led by Dr. Kevin Elias with Cleveland Clinic and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — the first clinical study putting this microRNA test into doctors’ and patients’ hands. It’s the bridge between years of research and a future where ovarian cancer is caught early and treated sooner.
Join us on race day, Sunday, September 27, 2026, at Acton-Carlisle High School. Visit www.mightymoose5k.org to donate, volunteer, register, or learn more.
Derek Swaim
Nashoba Road
Board member, Mighty Moose
