Barbara Marrier got sick and, now, her surrogate “family” is rallying to support her in a creative way. Marrier, 73, is a chipper snowbird with a sunny personality who’s been a regular customer at local Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants since 2005.
“I’m a groupie for Dunkin’ Donuts,” she says. Marrier visits Dunkin’ Donuts every day, sometimes even twice a day for her favorite iced coffee.
Vik Patel owns multiple Dunkin’ Donuts in Pinellas County. He says the Clearwater location was the first one he owned and he used to also manage the restaurant. Marrier bought coffee there every day, which is how Patel and the rest of the staff first got to know her.
“I don’t get to form a bond with everybody in the store … but ever since Barbara and I met, we just clicked, we have a connection,” Patel said.
Dunkin’ Donuts staff members have also grown very fond of Marrier, whose husband died three years ago. They treat her like a member of the family. “It’s the kids that work here, I love them,” Marrier said, “I walk in the door and they say, ‘I’ll get it, I’ll get it.’ They know what I drink, It makes me feel special.”
Marrier also thinks of the Dunkin’ Donuts staff as family.
“When two of the girls had babies, Barbara bought gifts for them, that just shows the connection the crew has with them and she has with the crew,” said Patel.
This friendship is what prompted Patel and the staff to rally their support around Marrier after she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. In February, a mammogram revealed she had the disease. Marrier’s twin daughters were previously diagnosed with breast cancer at ages 38 and 48.
“When I was diagnosed, it was like the end of the world,” she said. “But then I thought about how young the kids were when they got it, and they were so brave and so strong and I thought, ‘What am I doing? I’m having a pity party for myself.’ And then I thought to myself, ‘I’m a lucky person, I know I’ll get through this, they did.”
The news of Marrier’s breast cancer diagnosis upset members of her Dunkin’ Donuts family.
“I remember when she told us… I cried. I hadn’t seen her for a while. She called me over, I knew something was wrong, she started crying… she told me, and I started crying and it was a sad day,” said Patel.
Marrier had a lumpectomy and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment. In between treatment sessions, her doctors allowed her to go to Massachusetts to participate in a fundraiser that her twin daughters had organized prior to Marrier’s diagnosis. The walk raised $12,000 for the “People Like Us” breast cancer charity.
Here in Pinellas County, Vik Patel’s wife, Sneha Patel thought that a good way to show support for Marrier was to raise money for Marrier’s favorite breast cancer charity.
“We all wanted to do something, but Sneha was really driving the car on this one. She said she wanted to do something to raise money and donate it on behalf of Barbara,” said Vik Patel.
Beginning, Thursday, Nov. 17, four Dunkin’ Donuts stores in North Pinellas County will sell Dunkin Donuts “Easy Traveler” drink cups for $2. Proceeds from sales of the cups will be donated to the breast cancer charity “People Like Us”. Patel says the 20 ounce “Easy Traveler” containers are big sellers at Dunkin’ Donuts. They can be used for hot or cold drinks and have removable lids. They’ll be on sale at the reduced price of $2 through Sunday, Nov. 20.
This kind gesture from her Dunkin’ Donuts family has touched Marrier in a big way, “It feels really special,” she said, her eyes welling with tears.
“You are very special to us,” said Patel, “You’re a fighter.”
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