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Chris Benyo and his wife, Denise DiMarzo, at the starting line of the 2016 Boston Marathon. |
Denise DiMarzo, who completed the Boston Marathon with her husband, Chris Benyo, in April to benefit the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund, has died from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Benyo, an elementary school teacher from Illinois, pushed DiMarzo to the finish line in a custom-built racing chair provided by Team Hoyt. The duo, who have raised thousands of dollars to benefit ALS research, raised nearly $10,000 for the Cellucci Fund, named in honor of former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci, who died from complications of ALS in 2013.
“With each marathon they ran together, Denise DiMarzo Benyo and her husband, Chris, epitomized the bravest of responses to the dreadful and fatal diagnosis of ALS,” said Jan Cellucci, wife of Gov. Cellucci.
“The Cellucci family mourns Denise's passing. Like Paul, when faced with the worst, Denise chose to live her life to the fullest, running numerous marathons in a race chair with Chris's indomitable strength pushing her, a stunning team fundraising for ALS all along the way. Together, they set a lasting impression of love, bravery and vitality for all of us in the ALS community,” Cellucci said.
The Cellucci Fund has generated $3.9 million since it was established in 2011. The money raised goes to fund ALS breakthroughs happening across UMMS and in the laboratory of Robert H. Brown Jr., DPhil, MD, the Leo P. and Theresa M. LaChance Chair in Medical Research, chair and professor of neurology, one of the world’s leading ALS researchers and Gov. Cellucci’s personal physician.
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