Dear Family and Friends,

I will be riding the Pan Mass Challenge in memory and honor of my beautiful Mom, Theresa Gavin, and to raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. We are fortunate to have an institution like Dana-Farber here in Boston, helping and caring for our families in times of fear and uncertainty in the face of a cancer diagnosis. At Dana-Farber, compassion and caring go hand in hand with the latest treatments and strategies to fight cancer.

In 2011, my Mom had life-saving surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, with oncology support from Dana Farber, to remove cancer from her lung. Two years later, in 2013, the cancer returned and Dana-Farber provided Mom treatment that was comfortable, caring, and most importantly, effective. Mom passed in October, 2017 as a result of unrelated illness, and we are forever grateful for the last few years with her, which Dana-Farber gave us. And while I am technically a cancer survivor and live with its life-long effects, my Mom is the real survivor of my cancer, having survived the cancer diagnosis and treatment of her two-year old little girl. I will ride to honor Mom's fight against cancer.

100% of the proceeds from the Pan Mass Challenge go to Dana-Farber for research, new discoveries and the delivery of expert, compassionate patient and family care.

I will be training and riding with my good friend, Sheri Trocchi, whose family, like many of yours, has been deeply affected by cancer. Sheri shares my passion and respect for the Dana-Farber.

I appreciate any donation or support you can provide in support of my ride for Dana-Farber and the hope that cancer will one day be something we don't have to talk about.

My goal is to raise $5,000. Donations are tax deductible.