Barbara Lapp's involvement at Dana-Farber began when her cousin was forming the Friends' Gift Shop and asked for her help. A few months turned into five days a week for 12 years. Barbara says, "It was a great experience. We started with a shoe box for a cash register, shopped Mondays and Tuesdays, then worked at the shop including some weekends to set up. It was great fun. It was a small institute at that time, and we became acquainted with everyone. When our husbands retired, we followed suit."
Barbara and her husband, Larry, married in 1950, and they have a daughter, Joyce. She always devoted herself to volunteering and just before starting at Sidney Farber Cancer Center (the former name of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from 1974 to 1983), she was a play lady at Boston Children's Hospital and a volunteer at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center.
Since that time, Barbara has been an active and productive member of the Friends' Board, serving as assistant treasurer for six years, treasurer for four years, and chair of several annual meetings. In recognition of her dedication, she received the Sidney Farber Volunteer Award in 1998.
Presently, Barbara is in charge of overseeing the Friends' Special Funds. She sells holiday cards in the Dana Lobby for Dana-Farber during two months of the year.
Barbara says, "The people at the Institute and the Friends are all very special and dedicated. I have been active here for thirty years, and it has been quite an honor."