June 24, 2013
Dear Friends
and Family,
Felice and I are back
on our bikes but this year we committed to riding 2 fundraising events with
the intention to raise as much money as possible for cancer research. Are we
nuts? Well maybe but there’s a reason we decided to double our commitment
this year.
This
commitment is motivated by a change in Bill's health situation.
A routine
physical turned up a higher than normal white blood cell count. We were told of
the possibility that it is a type of Leukemia called Chronic Lymphocytic
Leukemia (“CLL”). Further blood tests confirmed
the diagnosis, however fortunately, it was determined that it was in “Stage 0”
and the cancer is not yet aggressive.
Currently, there is no “cure” for CLL, but the prognosis is good and we
expect to enjoy many healthy years before needing any treatment.
We were
pleased to find an amazing specialist at Dana Faber, Dr. Mathew Davids. He is
fully committed to CLL research and has assured us that this type of blood
cancer is his focus and the subject of extensive research. He is also a newbie biker and will be a participant at this year's PMC.
Not surprisingly,
the word CANCER, caused us to pause and reflect about mortality. When cancer gets personal, it is beyond
humbling. Statistics indicate that over
half of us will have a personal experience with Cancer during our lifetime
(more men than woman). Our treatments
for these diseases have advanced rapidly over the past thirty years and we are
dedicating resources to improve detection and treatment daily. Much like Dana Farber, the Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society is at the forefront of fundraising for blood cancers and
together with you; we want to assist them to advance their research.
So, our
first ride was a one-day 100 mile around Lake Tahoe on Sunday June 2nd. We trained with the Team in
Training group out of Northern Westchester, NY and most rides have been in 40
degree weather so it’s been numbing getting ready for this ride, but we were proud to compete it.
We are now focused on the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) starting August 3rd. We have been blessed with your support over the
past years (Felice’s 28th year and Bill’s 7th year).
Feel free to
choose either ride to support as both organizations are dedicated to funding
cancer research.
Hugs and
love,
Bill and
Felice
DONATIONS by credit card:
Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society donation link--http://pages.teamintraining.org/wch/ambbr13/wcress
Pan Mass
Challenge donation link--http://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=BC0134
you can find me by name or Id number (BC0134).
Mail: Felice
Shapiro or Bill Cress, 472 Belmont Street, Watertown, MA 02472
PMC
Fact Sheet
About
the PMC:
The Pan-Mass Challenge,
an annual bike-a-thon, is a pioneer of the athletic fundraising industry and
today raises more money
for charity than any
other single event in the country. In 2008, the PMC raised $35 million. The
organization was founded in
1980 and it has raised
nearly $240 million for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute through its Jimmy
Fund. The PMC is a model
of fundraising efficiency. In 2008, the PMC donated 100 percent of every
rider-raised dollar directly
to the cause. The PMC
generates half of the Jimmy Fund's annual revenue and it is Dana-Farber’s single
largest contributor.
Some 240,000 individual
contributions were made in last year’s fundraising
campaign.
