I am excited to be riding in the 2016 Pan Mass Challenge as it represents another milestone in my life. This August will be the 15th anniversary of my first heart attack. Though it and the second were both minor they have caused great changes in my life. First, I've learned to appreciate each day as a gift and to not take health and fitness for granted.

Second, I developed a tremendous appreciation for the wonderful people of the medical science community and the work they do. Heart disease runs in my family and I might not be here today if not for the almost daily advances in medical and pharmaceutical research. The PMC is all about raising money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute through it's fundraising arm, The Jimmy Fund. I recently lost a cousin and have lost many other family members and friends over the years to various forms of cancer. I can also proudly say an employee and a work associate were successfully treated at DFCI in the past two years. Riding in the PMC is my contribution to the everlasting search for new cures and therapies. This year I will again be riding for Team Zakim which supports the Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies at Dana Farber. The Zakim Center ( http://www.dana-farber.org/Adult-Care/Treatment-and-Support/Patient-and-Family-Support/Zakim-Center-for-Integrative-Therapies.aspx) offers cancer patients educational programs as well as therapies such as massage. These alternate therapies, along with traditional treatment, have been shown to help reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life for those undergoing cancer treatment.
This is my tenth year of participation in the PMC. I began training for this year's ride on a mild March morning and will be riding 100-200 miles per week up until the event in August. People I train with have been riding in the PMC for over twenty years. As the ride approaches the training becomes difficult and we all begin asking ourselves why we continue to participate. But after the excitement of the riding, the great people we meet along the way, and the feeling we get after finishing we immediately sign up for another year. My wife, Ellen, and I will be riding together again this year. The PMC has helped to make us avid cyclists and a few years ago we participated in the first ever 350 mile Ride Across Italy fundraiser for Dana Farber. As part of our annual summer training we have also ridden through France, Austria, The Czech Republic, and Poland. A few years ago we spent a week training in the foothills of Mt Hood in Oregon. The PMC has changed lives by providing needed funds for research in searching for the cure to a horrible disease. It has also changed the lives of people like me who have made cycling and fitness a centerpiece of our lives as we train for the annual PMC weekend each August. Thank you for your support.

Jeff Kaplan