My cancer story: Upon returning from a vacation in May 2019, I initially thought I had the flu. After visiting my doctor, I was advised to go to the ER. Within hours, I received the shocking diagnosis of leukemia—a fast-growing blood cancer. Many friends expressed disbelief, saying things like, “But you’re so fit and only 53 years old! How can that be?” The truth is, cancer doesn’t care about your age or fitness level.

If this had happened 20 years earlier, I probably wouldn’t be alive today. However, thanks to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and its decades of groundbreaking research, along with the generosity of my bone marrow donor—whom my family and I met this year! (see photo gallery)—I am now cancer-free and leading a completely normal life. I am proud to be one of many success stories from DFCI.

My cancer story is not unique. Nearly everyone has been impacted by cancer or knows someone who has. It indiscriminately takes the lives of those we love. Even survivors often find their lives—and the lives of their families and friends—turned upside down. They endure treatments that can be nearly as debilitating as the cancer itself. Many cancer patients end up unable to work just when they start accumulating massive hospital bills and need incredibly expensive medications. Tragically, some cancers currently have no cure, and we mourn those who lose their brave battles, leaving behind spouses, children, and parents. I feel a strong responsibility to help reduce this occurrence.

Cancer research and treatment require funding. I am alive today because of the research that was funded by those who came before me, which ultimately led to a cure for the specific type of cancer I had. I feel compelled to support future cancer patients, just as generous individuals before me made my recovery possible. This commitment is what drives me to fundraise for DFCI, which leads us to the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC).

The PMC is the largest fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), directly supporting cancer patients and their families. Last year, 100% of the $75 million raised by riders was directed to DFCI’s efforts to treat and find cures for cancer.

A promise to myself: Five years ago when I was being admitted to DFCI, I saw a display that showed the PMC had raised $62m for DFCI. At that moment, I promised myself that if I made it out of there alive, I would commit to raising money for cancer research by biking the nearly 200-mile PMC route from Sturbridge to Provincetown, MA.

This is wicked hahd. Participating in the PMC and raising a substantial amount of money requires tremendous effort and a significant time commitment. Last year, I devoted roughly eight hours per week to training and fundraising for the ride. To put it in perspective, that amounts to about fifty 8-hour days—imagine setting aside one day each week for an entire year to focus on this. Then, on August 3 and 4, I rode 200 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown. This was twice the longest ride I had ever completed, and I did it during the hottest, most humid days of 2024. Honestly, I almost succumbed to heat exhaustion. With plenty of ice and assistance from the fire department's emergency refrigeration truck, I was able to lower my core temperature and complete the remaining 120 miles. All of this was in service of a noble cause: raising money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s research. Last year, my fundraising goal was $17,000. Thanks to the support of my friends, family, and colleagues, I raised $45,625 last year, including $3,000 from a corporate sponsor. Our team of 29 raised over $350,000, contributing to a total of approximately $3.5 million raised since our team was founded in 2008!

Exploring a different way: I’ll be candid—I don’t enjoy training indoors during the winter, and I have no desire to ride 200 miles in two days again. But I remain committed to this worthy cause. I’m still part of Team Coneheads, and I have the same fundraising goal for this year, but I’m taking a different approach. Amy and I will volunteer at the PMC's Franklin rest stop, and I will dedicate a few hours each week to fundraising. Instead of biking, I’m providing my house design services for free, with the understanding that my clients will make an appropriately sized donation to the PMC.

I need your help, too. Please consider making a donation to support Dana-Farber’s cancer research, whatever you can afford. Just like last year, I’d like to reward your generosity with a gift of my own. For every donation of $200 or more, you’ll receive a bottle of my homemade maple syrup or a jar of my maple butter. I tapped the maple trees on January 25, and I expect to have the syrup and butter ready by the end of our local sugaring season, roughly the end of March. The maple goodies are simply a personal thank-you gift from me to you for going the extra mile and being extra generous. After all, our main mission here is fundraising to cure cancer.

Please do your best to support cancer research at Dana Farber. Your donation is 100% tax deductible and 100% of it goes to Dana Farber cancer research.

With love and tremendous gratitude for your kindness and generosity,

Joe Cracco. Leukemia survivor since 2019