Year 8 will be my most meaningful ride yet. This years ride is in memory of my dad, Gary, our house musician, Jimmy Buffett, and the biggest deadhead and fellow Big Red, Bill Walton.
Looking back on the last eight years of participating in the PMC alot, I mean ALOT, has changed. A few days after my 26th birthday, I joined in with a great group of coworkers on one of the coolest bike fundraisers in the US. It was a fundraiser that as a mid-twenty year old was intimidating, not for the riding part but for the fundraising part. All of this fundraising going to Dana Farber, an asset of our state, but, one that I had almost zero personal connection to. Hell, at that point, I had one person close to me that had passed from cancer. My highschool golf coach, Big Ed Waters, had passed from pancreatic cancer my senior year of highschool. As I started to ride bikes at UMass, I got familiar with the PMC and thought man how cool of a fundriaser to help DFCI and remember coach! Just commit and the rest will figure itself out, one of the PMC mottos, was a lot scarier than it sounds.
That year, one of my dads best friends, Ed Petrini was diagnosed with lung cancer. Coworker of decades, best friends of almost equal length, Ed had a big impact on my dads life. Again as a family not very affected by cancer, Dad asked if I would pay tribute to his best friend on my first ride. Hell yeah I would! Ed made it to PMC weekend to his spot down cape, enjoyed a beer, stories and time with us after night one that weekend. Not long after Ed lost his battle. Two people that were close to our family, but not immediate family taken by cancer. The ride felt more personal.
A couple good years of riding pass. Traditions were formed over this weekend that is THE highlight of every summer, some great years of riding and fundraising ensue.
Enter 2022. A gathering of our family to get some bad news, dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer. The next two years were not always bad, mom and dad having a fantastic outlook on the diagnosis and the battle that begun. At times life wasn't so fun, but, dad still found a way to enjoy everyday. The worst of it all being the loss of some of his mobility and not being able to drive big red, his pickup truck, do his normal routines on saturdays to the town dump and a longer drive after. But not to fret, mom was there to be his chauefuer, take him up to Maine to enjoy his camper the beach, the fire and company at Sandy Pines. Last year despite mobility and other chemo related issues, many good times were had. Weekend trips away with the boys, boat cruises, Corey and Colleens wedding, Marissas proposal. Things were good. Then easter of 2024 came, seemed to be a good holiday with the family. The day after easter, April 1st, our family got on a facetime, unfortunately not for a rousing round of april fools joke. Dad had to break the news that our time with him was growing short, likely weeks, til he would no longer be with us. Those two weeks gave our family a lot of quality time with Dad. Sitting in the living room that he had enjoyed for all 63 years of his life, over 40 of them living in the house overlooking the lake we all grew up on. Stories were told, memories recollected, wisdom imparted. Man did dad's philosohpic side come out those last two weeks. On Sunday April 14th, 2024- My dad, Big Gar left us in this physical world. 4 months to the day shy of his 64th birthday, a month and 10 days before him and moms 40th anniversary. The loss has been bigger than his physical presence. Dad had fought a hard fight.
Dad, like millions of other have fought their battle. Cancer is known for taking people far too young from us. After hearing those words you have cancer you never know which way your battle is going to go and when something you took forgranted is taken away from you for the last time. Looking back, I'm grateful that dad was able to watch me ride in 7 of these rides. Being Simon and my support car for our 1 day full 192 mile pan mass ride in 2020 (twice). I'm really going to miss seeing him out there throughout the weekend, but, he'll be with me and Marissa every mile of the way. Commit, and the rest will figure itself out. Marissa comitted to riding this year in honor of Dad, and we all know he'll be looking down and giving her a gentle push all the way to ptown. I know for sure he has been laughing on some of our training rides when shes cursing at hills and not having a good time!
Our fight is not over. The Pan Mass Challenge has cleared the ONE BILLION DOLLAR mark for funds raised and donated to Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The most important funds that come in to the premier cancer research institute comes from us riding our bikes for a few hours, and you beatiful people believing in us, and them. We do it to honor our lost family members, friends, Jimmy Buffett, Bill Walton, coaches, neighbors, colleagues, and to aid the researchers in their fight to erradicate this disease.
F**k Cancer!
