Dear PMC friends and loyal sponsors,

I am right on time with being late coming out of the PMC fundraising gate, but I pride myself with a giggle, “Oh that’s Ellen Time!” And I always land where I am meant to be just at the right time. And here we go in my 30th year with the PMC.

I have always felt it was such a privilege to be on my bike, pedaling 192 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown and well enough and strong enough to charge over the miles; TEAM BELIEVE, setting pace lines and goals. With the pandemic, our miles and journeys were altered and “reimagined” but our heartfelt mission remained steadfast and clear. So many of us came and worked together riding, fundraising, sponsoring, volunteering, cheering and filling our mailboxes and inboxes, bringing promise and hope, once again. And last year alone we raised $64 million, with 100% going to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Each of you is an invaluable component of this remarkable gift to DFCI and every single person donating with a gift of ANY size is a golden spoke in our wheels. Thank you sincerely for your on-going support of the PMC and for pushing our total gift to DFCI in 41 years to over $831 million. YUP. MILLION!!!!!

Throughout my PMC history, I have expounded upon the profound impact and differences the PMC has continued to make in the cancer world, at a local and global level. With world renowned doctors and research, DFCI is collaborating with other top hospitals, to provide the best possible treatments, care and prognoses for cancer patients. Our PMC support plays a paramount role in the strides made, bringing promise and hope to many, where there once was little.

As many of you know, due to my cancer diagnosis of Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia, I will not be able to ride the PMC on August 6th and 7th; though I will be present in various capacities. A greatest regret is that I will not be able to cross the miles with my son Luke who will be riding his first PMC. However, I am fervently holding the image of crossing the starting line with Luke and my PMC compadres in the future. I have lots to celebrate because I can unequivocally claim that my life was saved with this diagnosis by a sharp Chief of Neurology at Lahey Hospital, the third week of April, and the gift of being fast tracked to DFCI.

With lightning speed, thanks to my PMC affiliation, I became a patient and began treatment almost immediately at Dana- Farber with my Dr. S. leading my fabulous team. I am on a targeted oral therapy and if all goes according to hopes and plan, we should be able to tame a runaway antibody that has been wreaking havoc in my bone marrow. My cancer is treatable but not curable.

I am beyond grateful for my opportunity and privilege to be treated at DFCI. I absolutely love everything about the Hospital, which I always have, but now I do so with a keener sense of the breadth and depth and magnitude of goodness and greatness that oozes out of every nook and cranny there from Dr. S and all the doctors to the mask hand ‘em outers, to Gail in the “toll booth” at the head of the parking garage, to Merlene McKenzie who draws my blood every visit. It doesn’t matter what cross section one takes there; what we see is who they are and they, individually and collectively are the BEST of the crème de la crème. Kind, caring, sensitive, and supportive, brilliant and masters in their own labs and offices and fields and duties.

I see and feel the PMC presence everywhere at Dana Farber.. I am honored to have been a part of the PMC Family and Team for 29 years in so many capacities, and now I get to see close up and firsthand how our commitment and support of Dana- Farber impacts the lives of countless patients profoundly and positively. We truly are one big team, TEAM BELIEVE I call us, at DFCI; we are just coming at cancers from different angles. Together we are making life altering and saving strides.

How grateful I am for the Bing Center, my Dr. S. and her team and for the approval of my drug on 9/1/21. A few yrs. back and without the recent breakthroughs with targeted therapies, it would have been a very different outcome and less promising prognosis for me.

And we pedal and press on with PMC 2022 so that other newly diagnosed patients and those needing an alternate medication for their cancers can breathe a little easier, knowing that WE are keeping Dana- Farber on the true cutting edge of state-of-the-art meds and miracles.

Team Believe #Closerbythemile

I hope you will join me in support of PMC 2022, in honor and memory of so many loved ones.

With love and thanks,

Ellen

My 2022 GOAL; raise $30,000 in my 30th year! LET'S DO IT, TOGETHER!

Total raised in my PMC history; $336,403 as of 8/1/22, with hugest thanks to you.

In loving memory of so many family members and friends. And especially this year, in honor of Lucy, Wendy, Warrior Jules, Nicki, Paul and Ethan.

***Partial funds raised will go to WM (Waldenstrom) and Mutiple Myeloma. EXTRAordinary progress has been made in treating both, thankfully.