Dear friends,
As we did in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, we've committed to raising money for cancer research by riding in the 2020 Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC). On the first weekend in August, we will join over 6,000 cyclists in the PMC ride, an annual bike-a-thon that raises money for research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston.
Many of you know that this fundraising is personal and close to home for us, as our beloved brother/uncle Matt Leff fought stage IV lung cancer for the last 7 years. He endured a grueling regimen of chemo, surgery, radiation, and clinical trial medication, and while he eventually succumbed to the disease in December of 2019, [https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/southofboston-ledger/obituary.aspx?n=matthew-g-leff&pid=194911910], it's entirely thanks to science that he was with us for as long as he was. While it's truly hearbreaking, our story is not uncommon. It's obvious that further research on lung cancer is needed, and it can't come soon enough. By riding in the PMC and raising funds specifically for lung cancer research, we hope to help other people fight the fight Matt fought. We are struck by the number of people fighting this same fight and how the newest development in treatment can truly work miracles in people’s lives.
Therefore, rather than raise general funds for Dana-Farber, we will be restricting our fundraising efforts to help fund further research on the specific type of cancer Matt had and the targeted therapies being developed to fight this type of cancer. More specifically, the funds we raise will go to Dr. Janne, Director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber, http://doctors.dana-farber.org/directory/profile.asp?pict_id=0000363 and the EGFR research under his leadership at Dana-Farber.
We hope we can count on your support to keep fighting this fight. Thank you!
