LYNNFIELD — The 129th Boston Marathon may be more than four months away, but Lynnfield resident Bryan Mallett is already hard at work, not only training for it, but fundraising to support Massachusetts General Hospital’s Hepatic Arterial Infusions Program in memory of Sharla Sieve, who died in 2022 from stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer.
Mallett is hosting a cornhole tournament on Saturday, Jan. 18 from 4-10 p.m. at the Elks Club, 63 Bay State Road, Wakefield. All proceeds will be donated to MGH in Sieve’s name, who Mallett said was “like a second mother to me.” The event, which is limited to adults 18 years and older, will have music, drinks, light appetizers, pizza and a 50-50 raffle.
Mallett said he first started thinking about ways to honor Sieve after he ran the Maine Coast Marathon last May. He said he “felt extremely confident” of completing another one after finishing Maine in 3:26. Over the summer, his mind shifted to the Boston Marathon, hoping to get a bib number as a charity runner on the Mass General team. Mallett’s goal is to raise a minimum of $10,000.
Mallett said Sieve’s youngest daughter, Olivia, a senior at Lynnfield High, conducted a fundraising event to help defray the costs of her mother’s care during her mother’s last year of treatment. Sharla Sieve had to travel twice a month to New York to receive infusions as the treatment was not available locally. The fundraiser has raised more than $120,000 as of late October and is now helping others who need similar treatment.
“I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to represent Mass General and my second family: the Sieves,” Mallett said. “Our families have been very close, and my siblings and the Sieve kids were always playing in the neighborhood, so this is a no-brainer and a very special opportunity for me.”
Sharla Sieve was a 1991 graduate of Lynnfield High, where she excelled at tennis. A team captain and four-year varsity starter, she finished her high school career with an overall record of 85-13, placing her fifth on head coach Craig Stone’s all-time career Hall-of-Fame list.
A two-time sectional quarterfinalist at the North Sectional Individuals Tournament and a top-ranked player in United States Tennis Association New England 18’s, Sharla Sieve’s teams won four straight Cape Ann League championships as well as three Division 2 North Sectional titles. The 1991 CAL Player of the Year, she went on to play Division 1 collegiate tennis at Seton Hall. When she graduated in 1995, she held the record for the most combined singles and doubles wins in the history of the women’s tennis program.
Sharla Sieve returned to Lynnfield as a teacher at the Lynnfield Middle School and coached two Pioneers’ boys tennis teams to league championships.
For now, Mallett is focused on squeezing a rigorous training regimen into his busy schedule as a videographer for the Boston Bruins as well as several local high schools and colleges. He feels he is at his “athletic peak” and has considered completing the Abbott Marathon series (Boston, Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York).
“I’ve thought about it, but my life is so crazy busy. Maybe later, I’ll think seriously about it. Right now, I’m taking it one thing at a time and that’s Boston,” Mallett said. “My goal is to do better than the last one, and those who know me know that there’s no one that outworks me, so I’m ready to work to no end to crush this on April 21. I encourage everyone to sign up for the cornhole tournament so we can make this event a blast.”
The cost to participate in the tournament is $50 per person and $100 for teams of two. To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1104937330299?aff=oddtdtcreator or email Mallett at [email protected] or Julie Mallett at juliemallett11.com for more information.
