As July comes to a close and the end of summer looms closer, I am beginning to prepare for my 5th Pan-Mass Challenge. I will always ride in honor of my grandfathers who both were taken by this terrible disease too soon. As a child, I was lucky enough to have grandfathers who cared so much about me that I considered them my best friends. The day I said goodbye to my dad's dad is one I will never forget. I remember the shapes on the blocks in the waiting room and the blinding whiteness of the doctor's coat. Burned into my memory are the tears that streamed down my dad's face as he knelt down in front of me to break the news. I know that I am not the only one with personal experiences where cancer takes a life much sooner deserved.

Unfortunately this year the list of people that I ride for has grown. As many of you know I have a great passion for horses, and with that comes a supportive community. This past year the Morgan horse community lost Amanda Hill; a strong, influential, and passionate horsewoman that had a strong impact on many young equestrians. I would like to ride this year in honor of her and all that she did to help strengthen the horse community that many people would even call a family. While many cancer stories seem to end this way, I know a few people that have kicked cancer's butt. One of these people is one of my close friend's mothers, Hilary Odoy. I will ride for her and the tremendous strength that she exhibited in this past year. I will also ride for every other patient that is beating cancer. Each and every one of them is an inspiration and makes me hopeful for a cure in the future.

The Pan-Mass Challenge will always be my most favorite weekend of the year. Alone my impact is very small, but with the entire Pan-Mass community we make a HUGE difference. The money raised by this event goes directly to cancer research, every rider raises thousands of dollars, and every crumb of food is donated. Due to COVID-19 a small group of us from Team Lungstrong will ride a “reimagined” route from Rowley Massachusetts to Wells, Maine for a total of 70 miles. Like every year, the ride will be difficult but I will remember the struggles of every cancer patient, and that motivates me to finish. My goal this year is to raise at least $4000. Every dollar counts so please consider donating to my ride.

Thank you,

Haley Morland