Once again, I am helping raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (www.dana-farber.org) in Boston by joining the 2025 Pan-Mass Challenge (www.pmc.org). 100% of every rider-raised dollar goes directly to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The Pan-Mass Challenge (also known as PMC for those who don’t like to type) has been raising money for cancer research since 1980 and last year reached the unimaginable total of $1 Billion raised. That’s right . . . ONE BILLION dollars and I was honored to be part of it.

“Why do you want to ride?” you ask. Well, since you asked, I’ll tell you.

Earlier this year my daughter, Ella, married the love of her life, James, at a lovely ceremony with family and friends. However, the one person Ella didn’t have on that special day was her mother, Alice, who died from uterine cancer when Ella was just 20 years old and Alice had just celebrated her 50th birthday. My other daughter, Caitlin, was only 18 when Alice died. No child should lose a parent at that age and should not have to celebrate their most significant events throughout their life without their parents.

Cancer sucks. Plain and simple, it sucks. I lost Alice to cancer. I lost my father, Bruce, to stomach cancer. I lost my stepmother, Anna, to pancreatic cancer. I lost my lifelong friend, Eli, to pancreatic cancer. I lost my brother-in-law, Bob, to throat cancer.

For the past three years, I have been a volunteer at the Pan-Mass Challenge, along with my daughter, Ella, and my sister-in-law, Barbara. Last year I decided I wanted to do more to help those with cancer and rode the PMC for the first time.

As a rookie rider, I only did the 50 mile Wellesley-to-Wellesley ride, riding with my brother, Carl, and nephew, Rob. This year I've increased my commitment to the PMC by registering for the one-day 85 mile ride from Wellesley to Bourne. At nearly 64 years of age, not exactly in peak physical condition and not having ridden a bicycle (other than the recumbent bicycle in my basement that I ride when I’m not using it to hang clothes that can’t go in the dryer) this ride is daunting, but regardless of the wear and tear, it pales in comparison to what a cancer patient goes through.

I’m willing to do the hard part . . . train, exercise, ride 85 miles in a day. I just need your help on the other side . . . which would be you grabbing your credit card and making whatever donation you can. I’ll certainly be most grateful, as will those who are dealing with cancer every day, and hoping that today is the day their cure is found.