11 years ago, a friend of mine that I was working on a project with, told me that an extraordinary percentage of people over 40 haven't had a simple health screening in over 5 years. I replied that it had been about 7 for me. I promised to get scheduled for a physical, before we met again. 9 days later I was in a doctor's office. 5 days after that I was in the hospital having surgery. 2 weeks after that I started chemo.
I was lucky. We caught the cancer early. Mine had a treatment that was mature and effective. 5 months of chemo. 5 months of support from my family, friends, co-workers, even clients who came right out and said 'We've got your back'.
Not everyone is so fortunate. In the 10 years since being declared cancer free, I've lost people close to me. I've seen friends deal with the losses of those close to them. The thought of each of them receiving the diagnosis, of having to share it with those close to them still triggers an ache.
A few years ago, some of my SEI friends introduced me to a way to make an impact, to help others who receive a similar diagnosis. Last year, riders in the Pan Mass Challenge raised over 64 million dollars for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. My team… Forza-G, raised over 675,000 dollars. This year, I’ll be riding, for the third time.
I’m reluctant to make public request to support personal causes. This is my one exception. It’s an amazing event, for an incredible organization, that is very likely making an impact to someone close to you. Every dollar donated goes directly to Dana Farber. All costs of the event are addressed through corporate sponsorships and an incredibly generous network of over 4000 volunteers.
The over 5000 riders make significant commitments. Being ready to ride up to 200 miles over two days requires training and preparation. The event requires days off of work. Finally… we commit to raising a minimum of $5,300. My personal fundraising goal for this year is $7,500. I’d appreciate any help you can give in meeting this goal and in making a difference in finding cures.
