I am excited to announce that I will be riding the Pan Mass Challenge for my third time this summer.

Someone recently asked me, wait, you are doing that AGAIN?

When I first decided to ride in the PMC, I did not know how incredible it was and definitely did not realize that I was signing myself up for a lifetime of riding and fundraising. However, after my first one, I was hooked. Anyone who has done the PMC will tell you that the energy, from check-in to the finish line in Provincetown, is unmatched. From the roads lined with people cheering us on at 6:00am to people holding posters that say, “I am here because of you”, every second of the weekend is inspiring.

This past summer, I visited Dana-Farber and walked across the “PMC Bridge to Progress”, where a quote on the wall stuck out to me: “No matter how hard it gets, no matter how tired they are, each PMC rider knows it’s so much harder for those being treated for cancer. And so, they keep riding with the hopes that a cure is just over the next hill.” 

In order to increase the surivival rate of cancer, we need more research. However, research isn't free. At last year’s opening ceremony, Dr. Cigall, a researcher at Dana Farber, explained that the funds raised specifically from the PMC enable researchers to do studies that other funding sources deem too risky, but that the risky research is often where groundbreaking discoveries are made.

This wouldn't be so relevant to me if my mom hadn't been diagnosed with breast cancer, but to make it even more relevant, just months before her proposed course of treatment began, a study was released that allowed her to do a much less invasive and more efficient/effective treatment. The study was one of many that benefited from donations and events like the PMC.

100% of donations for the Pan-Mass Challenge go directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston to fund countless studies and trials that work toward more efficient treatment and ultimately, finding a cure. Last year, the PMC topped $1 billion in total donations toward cancer research. Every dollar counts.

I hope you will consider supporting my ride and the work done at DFCI. The life-changing research they conduct would not be possible without donations like yours!