Family, Friends, and Supporters,

My motivation and goal for riding in my 3rd PMC will be first to honor the memory of my mom, and the many family members and friends who are fighting, have fought or lost their battle with cancer over the years.

Secondly, I ride with Team Boston Fire, a collection of military veterans, athletes and cancer survivors riding in the 2021 Pan-Mass Challenge. Our team’s Moto is “No One Fights Alone”, and I am honored to pedal alongside each of these men. Each of us has our own personal motivation and goal, but collectively we ride together to support a particular area in the fight against cancer, Occupational Cancer. The twenty-five-man team, comprised predominantly of Boston firefighters, will cycle nearly 200 miles on August 7th & 8th to do our part in the fight against cancer.

Every three weeks a Boston firefighter is diagnosed with cancer. This is an alarming statistic that equates to 67% of Boston firefighters facing a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Boston firefighters are an especially at-risk population — more than twice as likely to receive a cancer diagnosis than civilian populations — with over 200 Boston firefighters succumbing to their battle with occupational cancer since 1990. Team Boston Fire will ride for our fourth year to support our brothers and sisters who’ve been in some way devastated by this destructive disease.

Established by Billy Starr in 1980 and under his direction, the PMC has grown considerably and consistently from its modest beginnings into an event that draws 6,700 cyclists from 43 states and 12 countries. Today, the Pan-Mass Challenge raises more money than any other athletic fundraising event in the country. The PMC generates more than 55 percent of the Jimmy Fund's annual revenue and it is Dana-Farber's single largest contributor. In 2019, the PMC donated a record-breaking $63 million to Dana-Farber, bringing the PMC's 40-year fundraising total to $717 million.

It is a no-brainer that the Boston Fire Department play a role in the fundraising event leading the charge in combating the disease that is affecting us all. Every rider-raised dollar goes directly to Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.

Team Boston Fire also caught the attention of a number of local news outlets that were eager to share our story and support Team Boston Fire’s efforts:

NBC – Cancer Rates Are Rising Among Firefighters, Research Shows

CBS Boston – Team Boston Fire Bikes PMC For Fellow Firefighters

WBZ – 2018 PMC: Boston Fire Department Rides

PMC Day at Fenway Park 2018 – https://vimeo.com/278176657

(Rider Drew Wallace honored for his service and participation in PMC at 0:20)

PMC Blog - https://www.pmc.org/blog/why-i-pmc-gerald-powers

(My own personal story and motivation)

2019 was a tremendous year for us! We ended up crushing our goal of $115,000, coming in at just under $150,000, hosted our 2nd annual Sunday Fund-Day event and, most importantly, we collaborated with Last Call Foundation to establish a dedicated research fellowship at The Dana Farber Cancer Institute focused entirely on cancer prevention and occupational health risks in firefighters through research within the Boston Fire Department.

Now, every single dollar raised by Team Boston Fire is funneled directly into a restricted fund to support a team of experts in their efforts to enhance occupational cancer prevention and improve clinical outcomes for firefighters. The impact of your donation is now truly palpable and more important than ever before. This year our team has pledged $150,000 dollars to the Team Boston Fire Fellowship.

For more information about our story, details of the Fellowship and other Team Boston Fire resources, check out our brand new website. https://www.teambostonfire.com/

Please consider any size donation, big or small that will help me reach my goal total of $8,000.00

Thank you in advance for your support and God bless you!

Respectfully,

Jerry Powers Jr

Gerald J. Powers Jr. | Team Boston Fire

Pan-Mass Challenge Participant

191 Milton Street • Dorchester, MA 02124

Telephone 617•413•3738

gerald.powers@boston.gov