Visitor to run Bermuda Triangle for charity - Royal Gazette

Jonathan Bell

Published Jan 19, 2019 at 8:00 am (Updated Jan 19, 2019 at 7:37 am)

Happy day: Kevin and Lisa Maloney on their wedding day (Photograph supplied)

A regular visitor to Bermuda is to run all three legs of the Bermuda Marathon Weekend to raise cash for a cancer charity in memory of his wife, Lisa, who died of the disease.

Ms Maloney died of cancer in 2016 and husband, Kevin, decided to run to help support the St Baldrick’s Foundation, which funds research into childhood cancers, as she fought the disease.

Mr Maloney, 54, from Long Island, New York, an insurance industry executive and a frequent business visitor to the island, said it was his fourth trip to Bermuda for the tough “Bermuda Triangle”. Ms Maloney, who was 48 and a supporter of St Baldrick’s, died just after Mr Maloney completed his first “Bermuda Triangle” of races with friend Mike Almskog, from Brooklyn, New York.

He said: “Lisa was terrific, she loved helping Mike and me behind the scenes and supporting us for the races. She loved St Baldrick’s and helping children with cancer.”

Mr Maloney added: “I want to help others avoid ever losing someone to this dreaded disease again”.

Mr Maloney, a lifelong runner, said he was ready for the gruelling challenge.

He added: “I’m a pretty big guy; I’m 230 pounds. But I’ve been running since high school.

“I enjoy it. When I’m out there I feel like I’m communing with nature. That’s why we chose Bermuda, we’re here a lot, we wanted to pick something challenging and we love the weather and love Bermudians.”

Mr Maloney, Mr Almskog and another friend, Matt Hansen, started the triple test of endurance with the Front Street Mile last night.

The team will continue today with the 10K race, followed by tomorrow’s half-marathon.

Mr Maloney said he had already raised $37,000, almost half of his $75,000 target for this year’s event.

He has raised more than $200,000 for St Baldrick’s through his participation in the annual race series over the years.

When stage-four cancer was diagnosed in 2015, Mrs Maloney had not shown signs of major illness but it had started to spread to her lungs and liver.

Mr Maloney said: “Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre did a phenomenal job and kept Lisa going for another 11 months.

“It wasn’t all doom and gloom, we tried to enjoy every minute together, and our time was pretty good, to be honest.”

He added that his wife’s courage as she battled her illness made him fall even more in love with her, and made him determined to make his contribution to the fight against cancer.

Mr Maloney said: “Her struggle inspired us. If you’re going to help with cancer, why not help with children?

“St Baldrick’s also does a tremendous amount to help with research. A lot of their money goes to grants for research to find a cure.”

Mr Maloney, 54, is a senior vice-president with Allied World Insurance, which has a major presence on the island.

Mr Almskog, 36, works for insurance giant AIG, which also has an office in Bermuda and is headed by Bermudian Brian Duperreault.

St Baldrick’s was cofounded by John Bender, AIG’s CEO of global insurance, and its first fundraiser was held in an Irish bar in Manhattan, New York, on St Patrick’s Day 2000.

The charity has handed out more $258 million in research grant funding since 2005 and fundraising events are now held around the world.

Mr Maloney’s donation page with St Baldrick’s can be found at www.stbaldricks.org/fundraisers/forLisa

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