We are the Markos family and have been proud residents of Topsfield since 2018! Our family of

five, Mike, Stephanie, and our children George (12), Grace (9), and Scotty (7) live on the quiet

cul-de-sac of Millbrook Lane. Also, a part of our crew is our dog Cooper, cat Callie, and our

lively flock of 14 chickens!

In October 2022, our daughter Grace was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Since then, I have been homeschooling our three children while Mike manages his business.

As a family, we enjoy playing games, swimming, going on RV trips to explore new

places, and simply cherishing moments together, no matter what we are doing. Since

Grace’s diagnosis, we have also become passionate about fundraising and raising

awareness for pediatric cancer. It has been a beacon of hope in this challenging journey,

allowing us to not only support Grace but also other children facing similar battles.

This year marks our second participation in the Jimmy Fund Walk, where we raise funds

for the pediatric cancer activities fund at the Jimmy Fund Clinic. It fills us with immense

joy knowing that our efforts contribute to making treatments a bit brighter for kids at the

clinic. Last year, we raised over $67,000, which is truly incredible!

Park/Play area/Hang out: We love downtown Topsfield! We frequent the park here in

town, the library, Zumi’s, and The Art Room, and love the Boy Scout Park!

Restaurants: Our absolute favorite place to get food is Café Sarina in Georgetown!

They have the best acai bowls around! We also enjoy a delicious dinner out at The

Grove and Maggie’s Farm.

Vacation destination: This is a hard one! My children would say Disney, but I think our RV trip down to North Carolina was the best trip we have taken! I am sure once Grace

has her Make-A-Wish Disney trip it will top all the trips for sure!

Sports teams: We are not huge into sports over here in our house. When we do go to a

game and watch, we are Boston fans! Red Sox, Patriots, and Bruins all the way!

TV show/Movie: We love the Netflix show Alexa and Katie! Yes, Day is one of our top

family favorites, along with some holiday favorites like Hocus Pocus, and Home Alone!

Music: We love all music and listen to such a variety!

Family dinner: Each week, we have roasted chicken dinner, one of our family

favorites!

 How are you involved in the community?

We cherish our wonderful community and strive to offer support wherever we can.

When describing Topsfield, I often compare it to a real-life Stars Hollow. Recently, we

had a delightful experience organizing a Lemonade for Leukemia event throughout

town, which successfully raised over $4,000 for our Amazing Grace Jimmy Fund Walk

team!

Our town hosts a plethora of fantastic events like the Tomato Festival, Homegrown

Market, Strawberry Festival, parades, and much more. When we are not manning our

booth for the Amazing Grace Pediatric Cancer Fund, we enthusiastically participate and

thoroughly enjoy these gatherings!

Mike is affectionately known as Coach Mike due to his dedication to coaching every

sports team our children are involved in. Before Grace's leukemia diagnosis, I was

actively involved with TESPTO and volunteered for various activities at Steward School.

Though we currently homeschool to ensure Grace's well-being, we still relish the

opportunity to participate in school events whenever possible.

We are deeply grateful to be part of such an incredible community filled with genuinely

wonderful people who have shown our family tremendous love and support.

Since Grace’s diagnosis, we have paused a lot of activities. George enjoys playing

soccer and takes art classes at The Art Room! Grace also attends classes at The Art

Room with the incredible Sandy! Before diagnosis, she was in classes at the Creative

Co-Op since she was 3! We were eagerly looking forward to restarting these activities once

it is a bit safer for Grace; we miss the wonderful Noel and Amy! Grace also loves soccer

and cannot wait to give it another try in the fall. Scotty is more reserved and takes time to

warm up to sports. He plays soccer and adores the art classes at The Art Room!

Our entire family is deeply committed to raising funds and raising awareness for

pediatric cancer. Grace has been featured in numerous campaigns to support various

initiatives at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Jimmy Fund. She will proudly be one of

the 2024 Walk Heroes for the Jimmy Fund Walk. We just had our first fundraising event

which was incredible and our excited for what is to come. Throughout September, which

is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, you will see plenty of gold as a symbol of our

cause! Lots of Go Gold for Grace signs around town have been such a magical thing to

see for all of us! Last year, our team consisted of 130 members, and we are aiming to welcome even more participants this year to join in the excitement!

There are so many favorite parts to living in our neighborhood. Millbrook is a beautiful

street where our children can freely roam and feel safe. I can text a neighbor that I need

a cup of sugar, a box for a return, or just a helping hand, and they are there to help. We

feel incredibly fortunate to live in such a wonderful neighborhood, surrounded by kind,

caring, and genuinely remarkable people.

Do you have any family traditions? Our traditions have looked a little different these past few years due to Grace’s diagnosis. However, one constant is our annual tradition of getting

matching pajamas for Christmas and watching Elf while decorating the Christmas tree

the day after Thanksgiving. We will also continue our tradition of walking each year with

our friends and family by our side to help children with pediatric cancer!

 What college/university did you attend? Stephanie attended Bridgewater State College

and Mike attended Northeastern University.

 Where are you originally from? Stephanie is from Plympton in the South Shore and

Mike is from Lynn.

 How long have you lived in this neighborhood? We have lived in our neighborhood

since 2019!

What do you like to do to relax? In these busy years, finding moments to relax can be

challenging. However, when we do, you will often find us gathered around a pool, by the

fire pit, or at the kitchen table, enjoying quality time with our family and friends.