August 3-4, 2024
Dear Friends and Family,
The first weekend this August will bring me to my 17th Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) bike ride. Only 192 miles but it will bring us all to a major milestone. You can be part of “One in a Billion”. More on that later.
Why I Ride-
It all started back in 2008 when I was turning 50 and I needed two things. The first was to find a way to get my body in shape and healthy. The second was my need to find something with which I could help. My dad passed from cancer and mom had lymphoma. The PMC and my bike were able to fill these needs.
I keep returning to my original motivation but my reasons have expanded. I lost two colleagues who were some of the best people I’ve known. I have several of my former athletes who are dealing with cancer. I’ve seen friends and acquaintances go through cancer treatments. And then I go back to family.
Last year I decided to ride for the Patriot Platelet Pedalers (PPP) team. This is a group who have dedicated their efforts to the advancement of the work of Dr. Ken Anderson. He is working on the cutting edge of treatment and research dedicated to the elimination of Multiple Myeloma among other diseases. This happens to be a condition that my brother is dealing with now. My brother is a doctor himself and says that what Dr. Anderson and his team are doing is keeping him alive.
At the end of the 2023 PMC Dr. Anderson sent each member of the PPP team a letter. It was three pages of what he has been doing at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). I will be honest with you as I have read it four times and I only have a small idea of what he does. But what I do know is, it is keeping people alive. His research developed medications that have radically changed the treatment of Multiple Myeloma so that today for many patients it has become more of a chronic disease rather than a short term downhill slide after very unpleasant chemotherapy. And as Dr. Anderson has said, he envisions a time in the not too distant future when further research will result in the cure of this disease. His research and development is also opening new doors for other researchers to make great strides in the development and care for those with other forms of cancer. If you would like to read a copy of this letter I would be happy to email you a copy.
And now we circle back around to “One in a Billion”. In the 44 years of the PMC we all have helped give the Dana Farber $972 million to further their cancer research. The goal this year is to raise $75 million. This will put us all over the One Billion dollar mark. A staggering amount!! You can join us all to make this happen.
I humbly ask you to help me out with the fund raising again this year. My goal is to raise at least $10,000. As always 100% of all the money I raise goes directly to the DFCI and specifically to Dr. Anderson and his team. Your tax-deductible donation can be made in several ways: a check made out to “PMC/Jimmy Fund” can be sent directly to me at the address below. Or you can go directly to my PMC donation page. (pmc.org and search for my profile page). Once there, you can use your credit card, Venmo or DAFpay to make your donation. You can also go to my Facebook Fundraising page. Donations can be made any time until October 1, 2024.
Many years have led me through many miles and changes as to why I’m still out on the road. I continue to ride with the names of my parents, my brother, my colleagues, my athletes and so many others on my jersey. Everyone struggles to get past the challenge of cancer and everyone needs help. This is my way to reach out and provide some assistance. You can dedicate your donation to someone you know who has been affected. Last year, I rode with over 100 names of the friends and family members who have helped support this ride. Contact me and I would gladly add their name(s) to my jersey. Together we ride!
Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions or just want to say hi. I hope you can join in with me and I thank you for any support you can provide.
Yours,
BOB
Bob Newcomb Pan Mass Challenge
87 North Whitney Street 501(3)c Certified Organization
Amherst, MA 01002 Federal Tax ID # 04-2746912
413-695-3186
bobnewcomb31@gmail.com INSTAGRAM- bobnewcomb31
FACEBOOK- Bob Newcomb
