I am embarking on my 17th Pan-Mass Challenge this year. This is such a defining thing for me -- I'm a PMCer through and through, and I love being a part of this community that just crossed ONE BILLION dollars raised lifetime since 1980 for Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Of course I have only been a small part of that, raising $148,355 over my 16 years. My team, Forza-G has crossed $8M lifetime and raised nearly $850K last year alone. Being part of a team that has raised over $8M for cancer research, facilities, treatment and patient advocacy makes me very proud, to say the least.

But alas, without people like you, I'd just be another middle-aged dude riding around in too-tight lycra on a bike for hundreds of miles. The real value in the PMC is the donors and volunteers that make it all happen. We, as riders, are just a symbol of that generosity.

This year, I'll be riding in honor (and sadly, in memory) of many family and friends who have battled this disease. That includes my niece Kathryn who is now cancer free. She was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at 11 years old. She makes these really cool bracelets (she has her own Etsy shop and business) and me and some others proudly wear them around on PMC weekend.

I'll also be riding for 5-year old Leo Palumbo. Leo is the son of family friends and has the same type of cancer that Kathryn had. He spent some of the holidays at Boston Children's Hospital and now is in the front end of what will be a couple of years of ongoing cancer treatments in order to complete his treatment cycle. This long haul will not be easy and almost every aspect of their family’s life will be impacted.

The first weekend in August, I'll start my 3-day, 300 mile trek from the New York border to the tip of Cape Cod. No pressure at all, but if you would like to help me have my best fundraising year yet I'd be grateful for your support and love. It means a lot -- each and every donation, no matter how big or small.