Annual Anthony Maffie Walk returns to Canton 6/7

Continuing their mission to help find a cure for epilepsy while honoring the memory of their beloved son and brother, the Maffie family of Canton is thrilled to announce the details of its fourth annual Anthony Maffie Memorial Walk to Cure Epilepsy.

The Maffie family of Canton in 2008

Scheduled for Saturday, June 7, from 2-5 p.m., this year’s walk will again be held in the neighborhood that Anthony called home — starting and ending at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, 100 Dedham Street. The event will be held rain or shine, and parking is available in the school parking lot. There will be a large tent set up for people who wish to gather, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

The one-mile walking route is level ground and will be well marked, with donor-sponsored lawn signs placed on town property along Dedham Street. The signs will bring awareness to the prevalence of epilepsy — a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures that affects nearly three million U.S. adults — while honoring those, like Anthony, who have passed from SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy), which annually claims the lives of 3,000 otherwise healthy people in the U.S.

A Canton native and CHS graduate, Anthony Maffie was only 22 years old when he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in 2019, devastating his family and friends, not only in Canton but at Curry College, where he had been working toward a nursing degree and had previously played rugby.

His parents, Bob and Lisa Maffie, remembered Anthony as an “amazing older brother to Austin and a fun-loving, free-spirited son who was a loyal friend to many.”

“Golfing, fishing, sleeping in, sports betting, hanging with his family and his friends, including his four-legged ones, Bentley and Piper, were a few of his favorite things,” they said. “He was born to be a nurse and loved his job as a CNA at Beth Israel Hospital Milton. His smile was infectious, his bear hugs legendary. He never missed a family event, partly for the food, but mainly for the love of his aunts and uncles and his cousins.”

All money raised from the Anthony Maffie Memorial Walk is donated to the nonprofit organization CURE Epilepsy, which funds breakthrough research that aims to transform the lives of people with epilepsy while leading the search for a cure.

Last year’s walk raised over $15,000, bringing the Maffies’ total over the past four years to approximately $50,000.

One of their personal priorities is to raise more awareness about SUDEP so that people with epilepsy can be informed of the risks. “We also strive to support research in epilepsy, to bring more public awareness and research dollars to help others living with epilepsy to live their best lives, and to someday find a cure for epilepsy,” stated the Maffies. “If we cure epilepsy, we end SUDEP.”

In addition to participating in the upcoming walk, supporters can also purchase raffle tickets on the day of the event with cash/Venmo/Cash App or Zelle for a chance to win a number of top prizes, including gift cards to Canton restaurants, Trillium Brewing, Red Sox tickets, and much more.

Registration is now underway and can be completed by visiting tinyurl.com/maffie-walk or by scanning the QR code above. The website also hosts a podcast, Seizing LIfe, that the Maffies were invited to do with CURE Epilepsy spokesperson Kelley Cervantes that shares Anthony’s story and highlights the importance of communicating SUDEP risks to patients.

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Posted by Jay Turner on May 16 2025. Filed under Featured story. Both comments and pings are currently closed.