Dear Family, Friends, and Supporters,

Hope this finds you well! Once again, Team Boston Fire, a collection of military veterans, athletes, and cancer survivors will be riding in the 2021 Pan-Mass Challenge. Our team, comprised predominantly of Boston firefighters, will cycle nearly 200 miles on August 7th & 8th to do our part in the fight against cancer.

Every 3 weeks a Boston firefighter is diagnosed with cancer. This is an alarming statistic that equates to 67% of Boston firefighters facing a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime! Boston firefighters are an especially at-risk population — more than twice as likely to receive a cancer diagnosis than civilian populations — with over 200 Boston firefighters succumbing to their battle with occupational cancer since 1990. Team Boston Fire will ride for our 5th straight year to support our brothers and sisters who have been affected in some way by this destructive disease.

The PMC is the nation's original fundraising bike-a-thon, and today raises more money for charity than any other athletic fundraising event in the country. A model of fundraising efficiency, the PMC has donated 100% of every rider-raised dollar directly to cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since 2007.

People travel from around the world to participate. Thousands of riders and volunteers have lost loved ones to the disease and still more ride in honor of those in treatment. Over 950 PMC riders and volunteers make up the PMC Living Proof community who were previously treated or are undergoing treatment. The camaraderie shared by riders, volunteers, and supporters is so strong that even the doctors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute join their patients as teammates, riding toward a unified goal.

Since its 1980 inception, the PMC has contributed $767 million to lifesaving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Team Boston Fire also caught the attention of several local news outlets that were eager to share our story and support Team Boston Fire’s efforts:

NBC – Cancer Rates Are Rising Among Firefighters, Research Shows

CBS Boston – Team Boston Fire Bikes PMC For Fellow Firefighters

WBZ – 2018 PMC: Boston Fire Department Rides

PMC Day at Fenway Park 2018 – https://vimeo.com/278176657

(Rider Drew Wallace honored for his service and participation in PMC at 0:20)

PMC Blog - https://www.pmc.org/blog/why-i-pmc-gerald-powers

(My own personal story and motivation)

2020 was a “Reimagined” year for all of us! We ended up crushing our goal of $115,000, coming in at just under $150,000, and we continued our collaboration with the Last Call Foundation to establish a dedicated research fellowship at The Dana Farber Cancer Institute focused entirely on cancer prevention and occupational health risks in firefighters through research within the Boston Fire Department.

Now, every single dollar raised by Team Boston Fire is funneled directly into a restricted fund to support a team of experts in their efforts to enhance occupational cancer prevention and improve clinical outcomes for firefighters. The impact of your donation is now truly palpable and more important than ever before. This year our team has pledged $150,000 dollars to the Team Boston Fire Fellowship.

For more information about our story, details of the Fellowship, and other Team Boston Fire resources, check out our brand-new website. https://www.teambostonfire.com/

Very grateful and thankful for your generosity and support,

Jerry Powers

3rd Year Rider

NO ONE FIGHTS ALONE