I'm a proud participant in the Pan-Mass Challenge - a bike-a-thon that raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country - to bring us Closer by the Mile to a cure for cancer.

I’ve had ambitions of joining the original Pan-Mass Challenge many times in the past, and for one reason or another just haven’t made it happen. Meanwhile, my brother Greg has completed 11 previous Pan-Mass Challenges, raising tens of thousands of dollars for this incredible organization. I’ve been inspired both by his willingness to jump into 200 miles of riding without hesitation, and by the commitment to work so hard to raise money for the event. This year will be different for us both, as I’m joining him to ride the Wellesley to Wellesley 50, and our father will also be joining us.

This year will also be different because Greg will be doing the PMC for the first time as Living Proof, having been diagnosed last year and then treated at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Our family is incredibly fortunate to live so close to such an amazing institution and for the care he’s received. It seems like the least I could do is join in the fight in a larger way as appreciation for making sure he is still here to ride with us. Even the act of writing these few paragraphs has forced me to grapple with the reality of what he’s had to face in the past year. I’m not sure I can ever fully understand all of the ranges of emotions, stress and uncertainty but equally I’m grateful of the incredible support system he’s had through it all.

I imagine it’s hard to find a family that hasn’t been touched by cancer in some way, whether the diagnosis, the treatment plan, the frequently long and grueling treatment itself, and in the end the fact that the question often lingers about if/when the disease will return. Any way you think about it, it’s life altering for the patient and their families, the toll isn’t just physical health, but mental, financial, etc. Within my immediate family alone my father, brother in law, and wife have all lost parents due to cancer related illnesses.

Since its founding in 1980, PMC riders like me have raised more than $1 billion for lifesaving cancer research, treatment and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the country's top cancer care hospitals. My PMC is making a difference in the lives of patients at Dana-Farber and around the world. The funds (100% to DFCI!) I raise support the innovative work of doctors, nurses, and scientists in their search for cures for cancers and related diseases.

Let’s end Cancer.