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Community Corner

Winchester Resident Raises Voices of Hope for Cancer Research

Winchester resident Greg Chastain came up with the idea of performing a show to raise money for cancer research after he lost his mother in 2009.

Greg Chastain is looking forward to performing at Symphony Hall next week -- not so much for himself but for his mother, and for a cause.

Chastain will be performing as part of Voices of Hope, a group that puts on theatre performances to raise money for cancer research. Their annual gala show on Saturday, Sept. 17 will feature popular, traditional, and Broadway music, interwoven with stories of cancer survivors and those who have lost loved ones to cancer. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by the musical performance at 8 p.m.

Chastain came up with the idea of Voices of Hope in 2009, after his mother died of pancreatic cancer. Chastain wanted to do something to help find a cure. He knew pancreatic cancer was among the deadliest cancers, with few treatments available. He wanted to raise awareness and money for research.

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But, he said, "I'm not a runner," so traditional cancer fundraising relays and races weren’t an option. Instead, he turned to the familiar: a show. 

“I’ve been doing theatre my whole life. My mom was a big supporter of that,” Chastain said.

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In October 2009, he put together a small show at the . It featured about 25 performers and raised $17,000 for cancer research. Chastain thought that would be their only show. However, the next year, he was approached by Mutual Funds Against Cancer, now known as Expect Miracles Foundation, with the idea of performing together at Symphony Hall.

This year, Chastain’s organization has grown so much that Voices of Hope is putting on a solo show at Symphony Hall, featuring over 100 performers. The group also became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization this year.

Voices of Hope donates all proceeds to the Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which focuses on cancer research for the six deadliest forms of cancer.

All the performers in Voices of Hope volunteer their time, so the full proceeds of the fundraisers go to cancer research. Chastain said he believes most, if not all, of the volunteer performers have their own connection to cancer and their own reasons for doing the shows.

“The show itself is very cathartic,” Chastain said. “It’s a great release, a great feeling, especially because you’re doing it for a cause.”

Chastain runs the group out of Winchester and London, where his wife recently got a job. Between traveling back and forth for Voices of Hope events and being a stay-at-home father, Chastain has his hands full with a project that never would have come about if he hadn’t lost his mother.

“I think she would be very proud that she is being remembered and honored by so many people,” Chastain said.

Tickets for the Voices of Hope gala range from $35 to $65 and can be purchased through the BSO website or by calling the box office at 1-888-266-1200.

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