I hope all is well and you're enjoying summer! I'm very excited to hit the pavement for the 10th consecutive year riding the PMC. The event is the first weekend in August - I'll be participating in the 2-day route finishing in Provincetown, MA, as usual. As a reminder, 100% of every rider-raised dollar is donated to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
My ride remains dedicated to pediatric cancer research – Children's Brain Tumor Research at Dana Farber. Still, only a very small percentage (<5%%) of total cancer research funds raised nationally are dedicated to pediatric cancers – the result is limited and often outdated treatment options for children. Research using PMC funding has resulted in some great progress - targeted therapies with real promise to be safer and help more kids. Here is a good summary of the program https://www.danafarberplga.org/ - I've also included an update below from Chris Mooney, who is the father of our pedal partner, Willa. Your ongoing support is more critical than ever and really making a difference!
Thank you so much for your consideration and ongoing support. It is truly a privilege to ride for this great cause!
Best regards,
Anand
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Dear Team Fidelity & Friends,
As we gear up for another PMC season, I want to sincerely thank you for your continued commitment - not just to the ride, but to Willa and the many kids we're riding for. Your support means more than you know.
I also wanted to share an update on how Willa is doing and how your support continues to matter deeply to our family. Willa is now 12 and wrapping up 7th grade. She’s been keeping busy and active - playing modified lacrosse and even joining her brother Simon on the varsity Nordic skiing team this winter (which I help coach). She’s done well in both, but I think it’s the social side of being part of a team that really lights her up. Beyond sports, she’s a remarkably kind and attentive older sister, always eager to help with the younger kids and now actively seeking out babysitting jobs in our neighborhood.
As many of you know, Willa has always been emotionally precocious - something I suspect is partly shaped by the experiences she’s carried since her diagnosis in 1st grade. But she’s navigating this phase of life with the kind of thoughtfulness and humor that makes us all incredibly proud.
On the health front, we’re grateful to share that Willa’s most recent scans in April showed stability, which is especially encouraging after some concerning results six months prior. As I mentioned in a past update, these visits are becoming more emotionally challenging for Willa. It's hard to witness, but also a reminder of what she’s been carrying for years. We’re also beginning to see some long-term effects from her chemotherapy, which brings a new set of complexities to navigate. While we’re grateful for her current stability, we live with the awareness that this may not always be the case - and that the possibility of future treatment still looms.
Unfortunately, our family’s experience with cancer isn’t limited to Willa. My mom - Willa’s grandmother - was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery just yesterday and is doing well. Thankfully, it was caught very early, and her prognosis is excellent. Still, it’s another stark reminder of how pervasive this disease is, and how urgent our collective efforts remain, especially as critical federal funding for cancer research continues to face threats.
This is why we ride. This is why your support matters. Dana-Farber is doing transformative work - not only in pioneering treatments but in making sure those treatments are more effective and better tolerated, especially for children.
Willa and the rest of our family are planning to be at the pedal partner tent again this year, handing out high-fives and hugs to all of you. I will join you all on the roads with my brother-in-law, Cory, as we ride from Wellesley to Provincetown.
From the bottom of my heart - thank you! Your dedication and generosity give our family strength, and they give Willa (and kids like her) hope.
With much gratitude and love,
Chris (Willa’s Dad)
