I am embarking on my 16th Pan-Mass Challenge in just a few days. 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 $140,550 over my 15 years. My team, Forza-G is poised to cross a major milestone this year, sitting at $7,970,979.54 (but who is counting) for the cause. 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.
No good fundraising note is missing some compelling story or anecdote, so I'll start with the sad one... our 7 year old pedal partner Adelia recently passed away from her aggressive brain cancer (sweet girls picture is below, absolutely heartbreaking). This has been really hard for us as a team to stomach, and we'll all be riding in her memory this year. We're making pins, stickers, patches, etc. and making sure no one forgets Adelia the Wonder Girl and her epic fight.
On the happy side of things, my niece is cancer free! She was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at 11 years old and just crossed her 14th birthday. She's back to being a normal teenager, and her favorite things are country music, squishmallows, and the Boston Bruins! 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.
A little over a week away, 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.
