For the last 13 years, the first week of August has involved similar rituals: Pack a car, drive to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, wake up at ~3 a.m. on the first Saturday in August, and embark on a two-day, 182-mile ride across Massachusetts. And for a great reason: the Pan-Mass Challenge raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The shared camaraderie of thousands of riders getting on the saddle at 5am on Sunday to climb over the Bourne Bridge, tough but rewarding climbs through Truro, and the elation when reaching the finish in Provincetown after a punishing climb through the outer Cape.

But it is the stories of friends, family, and colleagues impacted by this awful disease that provide the most motivation.

A few weeks ago, a longtime customer—Elaine—entered a family business run by my mother and uncle for ~40 years. Elaine exercised caution around others and explained that she was undergoing long-term treatment for cancer. She shared that if not for a special grant from Dana Farber that pays for the $10,000 a month treatment, she would not be able to afford the life-saving medicine.

Your support of my ride helps Dana Farber achieve the impossible for patients like Elaine from all over the world. Your commitment to supporting this great cause–and yes, me–year after year makes stories like this one possible.

Thank you for your continued & ardent support for all of these years. I can’t do it without you.

Peter