This August will mark my 7th year riding the Pan-Mass Challenge and my first as President and CEO. The ride has become a family event - this year, my wife, our 19 year-old son, and our 15 year-old daughter are riding as well.

The PMC is more than a bike ride. It is a community that supports our patients and their families, a community committed to changing the future of cancer treatment. The PMC has raised over $1 billion since its founding and has supported the innovative research and compassionate patient care that define Dana-Farber’s mission to defy cancer.

Every day, I have the privilege of witnessing the profound impact of these contributions -- I see it in new life-saving treatments, in the determination of our researchers to make transformative discoveries, and in the ever-improving outcomes of our patients at Dana-Farber. Every year, new treatments are approved for the treatment of cancer that were aided by the PMC.

As President and CEO, I am honored to ride alongside our dedicated faculty and staff, the patients and families we serve, and the legion of supporters of our efforts to decrease the burden of cancer. The endurance required of the ride is a small reflection of the arduous course that our patients navigate, and the tremendous challenges faced by our researchers who strive to advance the field of cancer research.