The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) is a bike-a-thon across Massachusetts that raises funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The PMC raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country. Since its inception in 1980, PMC riders have raised more than $1 billion for lifesaving cancer research, treatment, and patient care. Last year, over 6,800 riders participated in the event.

My Uncle Dave was one of 36 riders who rode in the inaugural PMC in 1980. His brother worked for Columbia Manufacturing Inc., a bicycle manufacturer founded in 1877 and headquartered in my hometown of Westfield, MA. Columbia was invited to participate in that first ride, which led to Dave riding in the PMC many times between 1980 and 2000.

My mom and dad joined Dave for the ride in 1983. My mom completed the route on a touring 10-speed Columbia that my grandmother, also a Columbia employee, was awarded as a gift from the company for perfect attendance in a calendar year. My mom also rode in the 1982 PMC and got lost on her way to P-Town, the final destination. She found herself pedaling down Route 6, the one busy highway on the Cape… this was certainly not the designated route.

I grew up hearing about this bike ride across my home state and how my parents and uncle had participated in it before my time, but it was not until later that I understood the impact and goal of the event.

In late 2011, my dad’s sister, Mary Jane, was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a rare and aggressive type of cancer that grows in the smooth muscles. My Aunt Mary Jane received treatment at Dana-Farber and participated in two clinical trials. Being a Dana-Farber patient gave my aunt a sense of hope during her cancer battle and I know she was grateful for her experience there.

My dad brought Mary Jane from Westfield to Boston, about a two-hour drive, for all of her appointments. Although the reason for the trips was not enjoyable, they made the most of their visits by becoming regulars at a burger joint near Fenway and attending a Red Sox game sponsored by Dana-Farber. Mary Jane passed away in March of 2013 and I am riding in her memory.

I was a young teenager when Mary Jane passed and, at the time, did not grasp the full scope of the severity of her cancer or the care she was receiving at Dana-Farber. With my new job at South Shore Health, which has a clinical partnership with Dana-Farber, I have learned how fortunate we are to have access to world-class cancer treatment and research here in Massachusetts.

There are many reasons why 2025 is the right year for me to ride in my first PMC. I just returned home to the United States after living overseas for two years. Before that, I was living in California and, before that, was away at school in Connecticut. I have not called Massachusetts my full-time home since 2015. Last year, my husband, John, and I purchased our first home in Bourne (the PMC mid-way stop) and he is stationed at Mass Maritime Academy, whose campus provides overnight lodging during PMC weekend. Moving back to MA, my new job and the opportunity to ride with Team South Shore Health, my family’s history with the event, living on the PMC route by the Bourne Bridge, and, of course, my aunt’s battle with cancer all serve as motivators to ride.

I will be riding 77 miles from Bourne to Provincetown on Sunday, August 3rd, 2025.

Riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge has been a goal of mine for a long time and I am honored to be a part of PMC 2025. Thank you for considering donating to my fundraising page and helping me reach my goal. I am grateful for your support!