Every year I ride the Pan Mass Challenge for loved ones, friends and strangers. People we’ve lost to cancer, and those who are still struggling with it.  In the last 45 years the riders and volunteers of the Pan Mass Challenge have raised over ONE BILLION DOLLARS for Dana Farber, contributing to spectacular progress in cancer diagnoses, treatment and research. 

But we’re not done yet. There’s still so much to do.  

This year I'm riding for the future.  In January, Elio Mar Sardou Rivard, our first grandchild, was born.  He’s magic.  He's healthy, happy and growing like lightning.

Elio, from Helios, the Greek god of sun and light.

In the dark days of winter and this particular time of uncertainty, Elio is a reminder to keep my eyes on the light.  To surround myself with love, community and collective compassion.  The Pan Mass Challenge does all of that for me.  When I pass a car with a PMC sticker we exchange a wave and honk, a shared nod to those who are suffering.  Pedal strokes send love out into the world. It’s that simple. 

For the past 14 years, I’ve biked from Sturbridge to Provincetown, a 2-day fiesta of roadside bell-ringing, applause, cheers and parents gratefully waving  photos of children whose lives were crossed by this disease, and I’ve felt your hands at my back for the entire route.  I’ve been privileged to channel almost $300,000 into the fight against cancer, and our team, A-Street Hospitality, has raised over $1.5 million since 2011!

My goal in 2025 is $25,000 - and hope for a future for Elio with more sun and more light, a future in which the word “cancer” doesn’t evoke the terror and grief that it does today. 

Please help us get there.

A million thanks and see you on the road!

Much love,

Jody