Please help support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute by donating to my 2023 PMC Ride.
On August 6th I will be participating in my 15th annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) bike-a-thon which raises money for research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston. Each year, the PMC raises more money for charity than any other single event in the country - $767 million since 1980 and $69 million last year alone! This success is the result of a lot of people riding for and caring about a cure. And because every penny matters, 100 percent of your donation goes to DFCI. I've made a personal commitment to ride and raise $8,000, so I hope you can help me achieve this significant goal, which is part of the PMC's 2023 fundraising.
I started riding with the John Hancock PMC team in 2009 after losing my eight year old daughter Lia to a rare form of Leukemia. She battled this disease for 2.5 years and during that time she received two Bone Marrow Transplants, the first one from her older brother who was only eight years old at the time. Like most cancer patients, she also received heavy chemotherapy and radiation, and lost her hair and strength to do most of the activities and sports she loved to do. But she made the most of every day and worked hard to enjoy the things she could like music, arts and crafts and playing games. In 2007 and 2008, she was a Pedal Partner for the John Hancock PMC team. As a Pedal Partner, she provided inspiration to the riders as they did the same to her, giving her the strength and courage to endure. However, despite her will to live and survive, her little body could not maintain the strength needed to conquer this terrible disease. She died on October 6, 2008, only eight years old and a life time cut much too short.
Lia continues to inspire me to ride and I know she continues to inspire others as well. In 2007 she was featured in a program called the “Boston Red Sox Stories” where her words of encouragement were to provide advice not only for the Red Sox but for anyone needing some support, encouragement and inspiration to help with any challenges that may come your way. If you would like to see that video, you can view it by clicking the link here: Lia's Red Sox Stories
Please help continue the fight against cancer by supporting my PMC ride by making a donation today. Together, we can create a world without cancer!
Thank you for your support!
