Dear friends and family,
A parent, sibling, grand-parent, an aunt, an uncle, cousin, a friend, or a child; everyone has been affected by cancer. It changes your life the second you find out the diagnosis. My paternal grandmother, Henrietta Jarosz, passed away from colon cancer, in 1978. I have only a few memories of her. I was 3 years old when she passed.
In August 2009, I went on a business trip/vacation with Kelli, Camden, my mom, and my maternal grandmother, Jean Witherell. During the trip my grandmother began feeling sick. She met with her doctors, immediately after the trip, and was diagnosed with lung cancer. She passed away 5 months later.
On August 1st and 2nd I will be riding in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge in honor of both my grandmothers and all those who have been affected by this disease. I will be joining more than 5,500 other cyclists in the 36th Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, a bike-a-thon that raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston. I will be riding the longest route the PMC has to offer, 192 miles from Sturbridge, MA to Provincetown, MA over the course of the 2 days. I am very willing to take on this difficult challenge with the hope of raising as much money as I can for cancer research. I am asking for your help in achieving my minimum fundraising goal of $4,500.
For every dollar you donate to my ride, it will be matched dollar for dollar thanks to our Team Perseverance sponsor. This means if you donate $100, the total donation will be $200. Donations are tax deductible and may be made online at http://www2.pmc.org/donation.asp. All you need to do is enter my name or rider id (CJ0063) in the search box to link to my page. If you prefer to write a check, please make it out to the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge and mail it to me at my home address (36 Maple St. Southampton, MA 01073). I have until October 1 to complete my fundraising efforts.
This spectacular event raised more than $41 million last year with 100% of all rider raised funds going to the DFCI. Any contribution you can make toward my ride would be most gratefully appreciated.
I thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity. I know with your support we can make a difference in the fight against cancer.
Sincerely,Chris
PS: Please consider sharing my fundraising goal with your friends or family. Together through donations we can assist the effort to rid our lives of this horrible disease.