I ride the Pan Mass Challenge because I know how important it is, and I know it’s making a difference in the fight against cancer.

I originally came to the PMC probably the same way many people do, it seemed like a fun event. I didn’t know too much about it and I didn’t really have any direct experience with cancer or had any family members that had battled the disease. I had started a new job in late 1997 and some of my coworkers had been riding the PMC for a few years, and they convinced me to do the PMC the next summer. I had been riding and racing my bike for years and the thought of spending a weekend riding my bike was pretty appealing so I signed up for the 1998 PMC. From that first ride in 1998 I was hooked. I thought I knew what the event would be like but it so far surpassed any expectations I had and I made friends that first year that I still have to this day.

Over the years I’ve come to appreciate more and more what an amazing event the PMC is and the incredible progress that has been made possible due to the funds raised, but unfortunately like many people, too many people, I have seen up close and personal the devastating effects of cancer.

In 2012 I lost a friend and fellow PMC rider to throat cancer. He was only 46 at the time and had fought cancer on two previous occasions, beating it into remission both times. When the cancer returned he knew his prognosis wasn’t great, but he refused to let it stop him from doing the things he loved, spending time with his friends and family, and riding and racing his bike. He rode the 2009 PMC shortly after learning his cancer had returned, and continued to ride his bike as long as he could through his treatment, even completing the Mount Washington Hillclimb race and the 2010 PMC between rounds of chemo.

In 2022 I lost my Mother to a very aggressive form of leukemia, just 9 days after she was diagnosed. The suddenness of it was, and still is, hard to comprehend and accept. She was one of my biggest PMC cheerleaders and would insist on coming to the Dighton/Rehoboth lunch stop on day 1 to cheer me, and all the PMC riders, on. She would be there rain or shine, with a smile on her face every year.

But amidst the bad news, there have been incredibly uplifting stories too. I have friends that have won their own battles with cancer, cancers that just 10 or 20 years ago would likely have had a much different outcome, but now have incredible survival rates. I have a niece that beat leukemia and has been cancer free for over 10 years now. My Team’s very first pedal partner, a teenager that was battling Ewing sarcoma, kicked cancer’s butt and went on to be a PMC volunteer, a PMC rider, went to college, and graduated to become a school teacher. It’s these success stories that keep me coming back. It’s these stories that continue to inspire me. It’s these stories that continue to convince me that we are making a difference.

2024 will be my 27th PMC, which means I’ve been riding it for half my life. I can’t imagine a summer without it, although I hope someday we get to a point where it’s not needed. Until then, I’ll keep riding.

Since its inception in 1980 the PMC has grown to become New England’s oldest and one of the nation’s most successful athletic fund-raising events, raising over $972 million for the Jimmy Fund in its 44-year history. The PMC is the single biggest donor to the Jimmy Fund and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, responsible for over 60% of that organization’s revenue. More importantly, 100% of all rider raised donations go directly to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to support cancer research. Many, many people are alive today due to this research; research which wouldn’t be possible without your support.

The primary means of fundraising for the PMC is through the efforts of individual riders. As a rider, my personal fundraising commitment is a minimum of $3,000, and I can’t do this without your help. Any amount you can contribute will be greatly appreciated.

TO MAKE A DONATION JUST CLICK ON THE DONATE BUTTON AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. IT COULDN'T BE EASIER.

Thank you for considering this special and personal request, and again for your financial support.

Sincerely,

Brian