Friends and family,

This year marks my seventh year participating in the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC). The PMC is a two-day, 200-mile bike ride across Massachusetts in support of cancer research. All of the donations support the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.

This year is especially meaningful because we lost Erin to cancer last November. My brother Ed lost his wife. My young niece and nephews lost their mother. Susan lost her daughter. My mother and stepdad, Susan and Vincent, lost their daughter-in-law.

Cancer sucks. Erin had metastatic melanoma. While there is no cure at the present time, recent advancements in treatment has given many of these patients extra years with their loved ones. It previously carried a prognosis of months, and now many can live upwards of 5 years.

Cancer research, drug development, and treatments are wildly expensive (and this is definitely not unique to cancer). Fundraisers like the PMC help to offset this cost. Donations from regular people like you help to make this possible. Even $5, $10, $50 can go a long way.

Thank you so very much for reading this far, and for whatever donation you are able to give.