Welcome to my Pan Mass Challenge ride letter. The 2021 Pan-Mass Challenge is scheduled to go on, but in a limited capacity with routes capped, logistics rolled back, social aspects (hub spots) eliminated, and alternative routes added. This year, in order to ease rider logistics, the PMC has provided an alternative option for Day 2: The Wellesley Century. So instead of riding from Stockbridge to Sturbridge on Day Zero and the length of Cape Cod as I traditionally have done, I will join others in Wellesley for a 100 mile ride on the second day of the weekend. The one thing that hasn't changed is the drive to raise as much money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as possible. Many of you came through in 2020 to make it my best fundraising year ever!

On the home front, here’s the latest . . .

In June, Ari completed his 5th year teaching multivariable calculus, precalculus and geometry at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, packed his bags and drove a U-Haul truck with car in tow to relocate to Austin. And did I mention that he did all that with a little help from his parents and the truck only broke down once and had to be towed to his apartment to be unloaded and it was in the 90's and extremely humid that day? Oy vey! But now Ari is settled in his new apartment, is enrolled in a teaching certification program so that he'll be able to eventually teach in public schools; he will soon be starting a full time job teaching mathematics in the high school program at Headwaters School. We're very happy and excited for him and have already booked a four week February-March vacation so we too can enjoy Austin and escape part of the Boston winter.

Closer to home, Annabel is now in year two of her PhD program in Science Education at BU and Adam began a new (currently remote) job on February 1st as the Manager of Government Payment Policy for Mass General Brigham. His experience with the Department of Public Health and MassHealth helped paved the way for this next big step in his career. And, Annabel bought a horse! His name is Gambit and we’ve been over to meet him in Bedford where he’s being stabled.

Karen and I miss our seasonal travel together and like all of you have done our best to adjust to socially distant living. As a courier for the National Marrow Donor Program, I am classified as an essential critical infrastructure worker and was fortunate to receive my second vaccine in February. Since the pandemic began in March of '20, I’ve had 46 domestic and 8 international airline trips. The need for stem cell and skin graft deliveries continues as does the need for platelet and blood donations. To date, I’ve given platelets 541 times, 67 gallons according to the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center.

For those of you keeping score on my injuries, after rehabbing from rotator cuff surgery during the summer/fall of ‘19, I successfully rehabbed from distal clavicle fracture surgery this past summer/fall. The plate and five screws in my shoulder don’t bother me so they’ll stay right where they are. Enough with the shoulder injuries, Mel!

This is a milestone year for two reasons. Not only is it my 35th year of participation having started in 1987, but also the 20th anniversary of when I first rode a tandem bicycle in memory of Steven Teitelbaum. Steven was a beloved cousin who lived a remarkably full life that was cut far too short at age 15. In addition to being an exceptionally kind, engaging and good natured teenager, Steven was a natural athlete and hoped to do his first PMC with me in 2001. Instead, I rode a borrowed tandem 192 miles with an empty seat behind me and a picture of Steven on my back. I did it again 10 years later in 2011 and I’ll do it again next month. May Steven’s memory always be a blessing to those who loved him. My local paper covered the story: https://tinyurl.com/38ks7vd2 and this piece appeared in the The Boston Herald on 8-9-21:  

https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/08/08/pan-mass-challenge-2021-more-than-6000-riders-cycle-across-massachusetts-for-first-time-in-2-years/amp/

PMC dollars are critical to support the world-class cancer care and additional resources that DFCI provides to patients and their families. There’s a lot riding on us and I hope you’ll support me. Thank you for donating and thanks to Karen who puts up with all my riding (and crashing).

You can also mail a check to me at 9 Coolidge Street Brookline, MA 02446 made out to PMC-Jimmy Fund.