This morning I received my first PMC donation, unsolicited, by a friend and Dana-Farber cancer survivor who has supported me since my first ride. This was the push I needed to get this annual letter out to you! In what has become my post COVID tradition, I will ride my own version of the PMC on Nantucket. Although I miss the crowds cheering us on and the camaraderie of the other riders, I love riding around the island and never tire of its beauty.

Once again, cancer has hit our family. My brother-in-law, Mike, was recently diagnosed with two types of liver cancer. He is currently undergoing treatment in Minneapolis. Mike’s oncologist stressed the importance of funding for research and Dana-Farber is a leading research institution.

On August 5th, I will ride my 18th PMC. I will ride for Mike and our friends and family who have battled cancer. I will think of my mom, who lost her battle to lung cancer 19 years ago. Some memories of my mom are so vivid they feel like yesterday and then I look at my kids, ages 26 to 32, and can’t believe how little they were when she died and how much of their lives she has missed.

The Pan Mass Challenge, the country’s largest athletic fundraising event, raises money for adult and pediatric cancer research and treatment at the world-renowned Dana- Farber Cancer Institute. Founded in 1980, the PMC has raised an astonishing $970 million and is Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor, with 100% of every rider-raised dollar going directly to the cause. When the PMC began, there were fewer than 5 millioncancer survivors living in the US. Today there are more than 18 million!

As I continue cycling in my 18th year as a PMC’er and my 17th as a breast cancer survivor, I write to you once again to ask for your support.

To sponsor me you can click on this link www.pmc.org/profile/ES0119. If you prefer to send a check (payable to “PMC”) please send it to: 6 Vinecliff Lane, Nantucket, MA 02554.