The Beatles said it best: I get by with a little help from my friends. Erin Coonan Schmidt had to learn that the hard way.

In December 2008, one month after her wedding, 27-year-old Schmidt was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. For the next five years, she received monthly treatments and did everything right. But when she went in for her five-year MRI, doctors found that the cancer had metastasized to her liver and bones, putting her at Stage 4.

“That was really hard to hear,” said Schmidt, now 33. “After five years of being cancer-free, I suddenly found myself in a place of never being rid of it. Unfortunately, the disease is now chronic, which means that it will never be gone. But I think it’s important to know that Stage 4 doesn’t mean end of life. It is a medical definition that says there is cancer in a major organ. The disease is incurable but treatable, and that’s the part we need to focus on.”

Upon hearing the news, Schmidt’s family and friends mobilized to help. Her father, Jim Coonan; brother, Brian Coonan; and good friend, Matt Gray; collaborated to create the Worcester Night Run ~ the first and only night run in the city. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the run will go toward Schmidt’s treatment, and she will also make a donation to the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

“Going through a cancer diagnosis doesn’t just affect the patient,” Schmidt said, adding that friends and family are left feeling helpless. “This 5K was put together out of the need to do something ~ anything ~ to try to take back a little control.”

Schmidt said the 5K was Brian’s idea. “He wanted to do something that would bring the community together, and I loved the idea of doing an event that wasn’t completely cancer-centric,” she said. “With this being the Worcester Night Run, it feels like it has a farther reach.”

While Brian worked with the city of Worcester to obtain the necessary permits, Gray, owner of Gray Matter Marketing in Newport, R.I. (where Schmidt and Gray live), worked on the other details. Gray’s company has helped put on many 5Ks, including the hugely successful Newport Night Run. “It seemed like a natural fit for Worcester, which does not have anything else like it,” he said.

The fact that the race, which takes place Aug. 8, is in Schmidt’s hometown has special meaning. “Worcester will always be my home,” she said, adding that the race will start behind her alma mater (Burncoat High School), follow Burncoat Street to the Summit and back to BHS. “Pit stops at Benny’s are encouraged,” she joked.

According to Brian, the race has been well-supported by both the community and the city. “Ever since we first pitched the idea for a run, the support from the community has been overwhelming,” he said. “It seems like a new offer to contribute comes in every day from people in Worcester and around the country. It’s humbling, but I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Schmidt also isn’t surprised by the reaction of her “amazing family and friends,” but she is continuously amazed at the outpouring of love and support. “If only I could bottle it all up, that would be the cure,” she said.

To register, visit worcesternightrun.com.

By Kimberly Dunbar