Well folks, here we are again. After a 1-year hiatus, I find myself training once again for the 2 day, 160 mile bike ride from Wellesley to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Of course it's for an amazing cause - the Pan-Mass Challenge is the single largest fundraising event in the country, with a goal of raising $76 million this year alone to fund cancer research and treatment - but last year when my wife Katie and I learned that we were expecting our first child in July of 2024, I couldn't help but think this was the perfect excuse to avoid the exhausting ride. Not even Rob, my dad and the instigator of our family's participation, could guilt me into riding a week after the baby's due date. My brother Mitch joined him instead, riding 160 miles in honor of our aunt, Susan Pessotti, who passed away from cancer in 2016. We welcomed our son Bobby on July 28, 2024, and cheered Rob and Mitch on from afar in Houston (quickly learning that the challenges of parenthood make 160 miles on a bike seem like a breeze).
Fast forward a year, and not only has my dad convinced me to get back on the bike, but he has also convinced Katie to come along for the fun. Katie and I, along with Mitch and my dad, will ride together on August 2nd and 3rd, while my mom and Bobby cheer us on. The ride takes on new meaning this year, as I ride not just in memory of Aunt Susan, but in hopes that Bobby can grow up in a world without this horrible disease that affects so many families.
To that end, I am reaching out again to humbly request your support. Katie and I will be matching the first $3,000 of donations that we receive this year, and all donations will go directly to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (and are 100% tax deductible). I truly appreciate any amount you are willing to contribute, it really means so much to so many people.
Thank you,
Andrew
