Exactly 25 Years ago this June I finished my last radiation treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with a 104.5 radiation fever for a week. That “fun” followed tumor removal surgery and 8 rounds of chemotherapy. It was hell of a way to lose weight. It came at a time when the kids were only 6, 8 and 10! Irene and I were stunned, panicked and unsure of the future. My wife, kids and family were rock stable and helped me through it all.
A few years after all the physical effects wore off, I was urged to get back on the bike again and ride the Pan Mass Challenge charity ride. August 5th will be the start of my 21th consecutive year of riding the PMC ride in support of the Dana Farber Cancer institute.
Said another way it’s the 21st year in row Irene and the kids have listened to me bitch, complain and obsess about being able to complete the ride! None of this would ever be possible without them. This year I’ll be joined by my sons David and Michael along with a bunch of their overly fit pals who will drag me through the hills of P-town!
Enough whining! To date I have raised over $100,000 with your extraordinary support. My goal is to crack $115,000 this year. Many of you have shared the entire 21 plus years of fundraising with me and supported every one of the 3,200 plus miles I have ridden. AMAZING!
I was one of the very, very lucky ones whose pioneering research at Dana Farber saved my life. That institution only survives with your support.
This year the PMC will have raised ONE BILLION DOLLARS for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since it's launch in 1980. Today, the PMC is the single largest contributor to Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund and is responsible for more than 60 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.
If you are so inclined, I again would be so thankful for your donation to support the institution that saved my life and hundreds of thousands of others.
My sincerest thanks,
Paul Paresky
My Links
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