My entire life I have grown up wtih many family traditions. 8 years ago was the start of a new tradition. On November 13, 2012 I lost my older brother, Evan, to DIPG when he was only 11 years old. I have been watching my parents,aunts, uncles, and close friends ride in the Pass Mass Challenge Bike Ride as a way to honor and raise money for awareness. Every year my cousins and I go to support, dressing up head to toe in red accessories, and standing on the side of the road to give high fives to all of the riders. Evan always had a way of brightening up a room and making everyone smile. I loved seeing the riders smiles as we cheered them on, giving them strength to finish the ride. It has become a new family traditon that we look foward to every summer. This year, however, is my first year joining the riders. We ride to honor my brother, to preserve his memory, to turn a traumatic experience into something with a purpose. We ride so that other families have hope. We ride for Evan.

I'm a proud supporter of the PMC because it is leading a charge to beat cancer. In fact, last year 100% of rider-raised revenue went directly to support the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's tireless commitment to finding a cure.

100% of all donations made to Team Evan's Crew will directly fund DIPG research at Dana-Farber through the Evan T. Mandeville DIPG Research Fund.