Cancer touches us ALL. Whether it’s coming right at us or lurking in the shadows, no one escapes its reach. Every year the list grows: family, friends, business colleagues, neighbors, community leaders, and children -- lung, prostate, colon, cervical, ovarian, bone, breast, brain, thyroid, blood and more. Cancer knows no geographic bounds, striking loved ones wherever they live worldwide.
But cancer is something we all can ALL do something about. It’s not a hopeless cause. Every year there are more stories of winning than losing, and fighting makes a difference to us all. Think of all the cancer survivors you know, and how much they mean to you and those around them. That’s worth fighting for.
The Pan Mass Challenge is a metaphor for the fight against cancer. The idea of pedaling half way across the state of Massachusetts in two days and raising at least $4,800 for cancer seems an insurmountable challenge, but it can be done with commitment, the help of family and friends, and by taking it one mile at a time. Please join us in making a difference this year. As a team, our goal is to raise $40,000 – last year we hit $50,000 and joined over 6000 other riders in raising $47 million for cancer research and treatment at Dana Farber. Maybe we can hit $50,000 again, We can do it with your help.
Team THANKS is a small group of riders committed to making a difference in the battle to defeat cancer. This will be Mark Deck’s 8th ride. Jonathan Lilienfeld rides for the 4th time and Steven Branson rides for the 3rd time. This year we are joined by three new riders. Damion Ryan is Mark's son-in-law, Nancy Serpa is a work colleague, and Kathy Carlson is the mother of Maddie Carlson, the team's PMC Pedal Partner last year. Kevin Lewis joined the group in 2013 and this will be his 4th ride. Kevin rides for team PwC, a major sponsor of the PMC with over 100 riders last year.
You can read more about why each of us rides by visiting our individual rider pages.
We took the name - THANKS - in honor of Mark’s father, Raymond Henry Deck, who used the slogan THANKS in his United Way fundraising efforts in the greater Hartford area. He died in 2008 at the age of 86 after a long fight with prostate cancer. With quiet determination, he kept his cancer at bay for over 15 years during which time he enriched the lives of countless others through his community involvement and his role as a loving grandfather.THANKS.
