Frequently Asked Questions

Fred’s Team, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's (MSK) running program, gives every runner the opportunity to add more meaning to their miles by raising money for lifesaving cancer research at MSK. 100% of the money raised goes directly into the labs at MSK, where groundbreaking discoveries are making a real difference for people around the world.

Official events include the TCS New York City Marathon, United Airlines NYC Half, TCS London Marathon, and BMW Berlin Marathon Fred’s Team runners are given the ultimate experience with exclusive race-day benefits as well as a comprehensive training program and dedicated coaches. Participants can also raise money for Fred’s Team anytime, anywhere through Fundraise Your Way

Fred's Team was created to honor the life and legacy of Fred Lebow, co-founder of the New York City Marathon. Read more about Fred.

Founded in 1884, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the world’s oldest and largest private cancer center. The close collaboration between doctors and researchers is one of its greatest strengths — ensuring that drugs and therapies developed in the lab can be quickly transformed into treatment options that will benefit people with cancer worldwide.

100% of the money raised by Fred’s Team goes to Memorial Sloan Kettering for lifesaving cancer research—providing new and better treatments for patients worldwide. Fred’s Team participants choose to support the area of cancer research that means the most to them.

Fred's Team is owned and operated by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Memorial Sloan Kettering's 501c3 tax identification is: 13-1924236. Your gift to Fred's Team is 100% tax-deductible. You will receive a confirmation receipt via email after submitting your online donation. Please save this email receipt for your tax records. For all gifts made by check, you will receive a written acknowledgment in the mail.

There is a Fred's Team kickoff fee for the TCS New York City Marathon, United Airlines NYC Half, TCS London Marathon, BMW Berlin Marathon, and Fundraise Your Way. All kickoff fees are donations, 100% tax-deductible, and applied towards your fundraising total. Register now!

Fred's Team has a limited number of guaranteed entries for our official events. These entries are given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Once all entries are filled, a waitlist will open up. If entries become available, you will be notified as soon as possible. If you have joined Fred's Team in the past (or if you've registered for an event and canceled), any outstanding fundraising balance must be fulfilled in order to qualify for one of these entries. If you register for an existing race as part of Fundraise Your Way, you must have your own entry.

Yes! You'll follow the "own entry" registration process.

Yes, register for Fundraise Your Way. You can participate in any virtual or in-person race, or organize your own event (we’ll help). You can also fundraise to honor a loved one, celebrate a special occasion, or give back on your birthday — or for any reason at all! Every dollar you raise will make a difference for people with cancer around the world. You'll also receive training support, a two-piece uniform, an online fundraising page, and much more!

Yes! We’d love for you to invite friends, family or colleagues to join. You can start your own team for the TCS New York City Marathon, United Airlines NYC Half, TCS London Marathon, and BMW Berlin Marathon or Fundraise Your Way.

Go to our Events page and follow the registration process. You will have both an individual and team fundraising page. On your team page, you’ll also be able to receive donations. All team gifts will be evenly distributed. Please note that each member of the team is responsible for fulfilling his or her individual fundraising requirement.

Of course! We provide expert training based on your fitness level, and you'll receive dedicated fundraising support from the Fred's Team staff to answer your questions and help you achieve your goals

Yes, runners from around the world have joined us in our official events and through Fundraise Your Way.

Fred's Team has a limited number of guaranteed entries available for our official events. These entries are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Once all entries are filled, any remaining members will be placed on a wait list and notified if an entry becomes available. If you have joined Fred's Team in the past, (or if you've registered for an event and canceled), any outstanding fundraising balance must be fulfilled in order to qualify for one of these entries.

Fred’s Team provides exclusive benefits, giving each participant the ultimate experience. When you participate with Fred’s Team, 100% of the money you raise goes to any area of research you choose at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In addition to making your miles more meaningful, you'll receive training and staff support, an online fundraising page, a custom uniform and much more!

If you're registered for an event, your uniform will be shipped to you after reaching 50% of your fundraising requirement.

There are many ways to engage your company with the incredible Fred's Team community of runners, survivors, family members and more. Whether through sponsorships, in-kind donations, matching gifts, or creating an employee running team, your company can make a big difference in the fight against cancer! Please contact us for more information.

All Fred's Team participants who receive a race entry are required to raise the minimum fundraising requirement for the event by the fundraising deadline. Runners with their own race entry and Fundraise Your Way participants are encouraged to fulfill the minimum fundraising requirement.

All fundraising deadlines are listed in the fundraising agreement for each event.

Start by logging in to your Dashboard to customize your fundraising page. Asking potential donors for support will be more effective if they know why you’re running! You will also find pre-written email templates, fundraising tips, training resources, and more.

Also, join our social communities on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to share updates with friends and family. 

We encourage you to set your goals high and raise as much as possible! Remember that every dollar goes directly to rare cancer research.

Please note: Funds raised for all Fred's Team events must come through your online Fred's Team fundraising page or by check/money order payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering. Donations from a third-party fundraising site (e.g. Active, Crowdrise, etc.) cannot be counted towards your fundraising requirement.
 

Online donations are processed automatically and immediately applied to your fundraising total. Gifts made by check or money order are processed and applied to your fundraising total within 72 hours of being received by Fred's Team.

Yes! If you work for a company that might be interested in sponsoring Fred’s Team, please contact us for more information. Custom opportunities and packages are available.

No. If you have made a pledge to Memorial Sloan Kettering, the funds raised through Fred’s Team may not be applied toward fulfilling that commitment. However, it is possible to establish a pledge through Fred’s Team. Please contact us at fredsteam@mskcc.org or 646-227-3885 for additional information or to discuss your interests.

Many companies have programs that match the charitable contributions of their employees. This can double and sometimes triple the amount of a donation, at no additional cost to the employee — a great way to increase your impact! To find out if you or your donors work for a company with a matching gift program, check out our matching gift page.

Please mail completed matching gift forms to:

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Attn: Matching Gifts, Office of Development
P.O. Box 27106
New York, NY 10087
matchinggift@mskcc.org

When sending your check, please be very specific as to whether your matching gift should be counted toward an individual or team. Helpful information to include with your check is the participant’s full name, their team name, and the event that they are participating in.

Gifts made by check will be processed and applied to your fundraising total within 72 hours of being received by Fred’s Team. Matching gifts are not posted until all of the necessary paperwork is completed by both the employee and the company, and received by Fred’s Team.

It's simple to donate to Fred's Team in support of an individual or team. You can make a secure, online donation using a credit card or use our mail-in form to make a gift. Click here to search for the individual or team you wish to support. While your gift will be immediately credited to the individual or team you specify, it may take up to one hour for your online donation to be accurately reflected on the fundraising page. If after one hour you do not see the gift displayed correctly, please contact us.

All checks should be made payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Simply print and fill out our mail-in form, enclose it with your check, and mail to the appropriate address below, depending on the mailing service.

USPS:
Fred’s Team
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
P.O. Box 27432
New York, NY 10087-7432
 

FedEx or UPS:
JPMorgan Chase
Lockbox Processing MSKCC #27432
4 Chase Metrotech Center, 7th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11245

Please contact us at fredsteam@mskcc.org or 646-227-3885 and one of our team members will be able to help you.

Online gifts supporting Memorial Sloan Kettering (including Fred’s Team donations) will appear as "MSK 855-718-4054" or "MSKGiving 855-718-4054"on your credit card statement.

We welcome runners of all levels! You'll get the expert guidance and support you need to reach your goal. Some of the many benefits include a training chart, nutrition advice and tips from our USA Track & Field and Triathlon certified coaches. We also have mentors and assistant coaches to help!

Your training chart, training guide, and much more can be found by logging into your Dashboard and visiting your Participant Center. 

If you are unable to participate in an official Fred's Team event due to illness, injury or conflict, you need to notify Fred's Team immediately. If you received a guaranteed entry from Fred's Team and did not cancel by the cancellation date, you will still be responsible for fulfilling the minimum fundraising requirement. Please contact us for each event’s specific cancellation policy. All donations received are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

Double-check that you're entering your username and password correctly. Remember, your password is case-sensitive. If you're having other issues logging in, please check out our page identifying common login issues. Contact us if you continue to have trouble.

You can reset your password here.

Customize your fundraising page by sharing your story and why you’re running. This helps boost your fundraising success by showing potential donors why your race is important! 

Please note that all customized content, photos, and videos are subject to Memorial Sloan Kettering’s review and approval. If you plan to include personal information about other people on your fundraising page — including family members or friends whose lives have been touched by cancer — please be sure to consult with them first, in case they have concerns about seeing such information made public.
 

Double check to make sure that the photo is a .jpg file and no larger than 4MB. All uploaded images will be resized to fit in a 300 x 400-pixel space.