We did it!!! We’re all ONE in a BILLION!!

That’s right, with your help, the PMC has raised over ONE BILLION DOLLARS in the fight against cancer since 1980!!! And I have reached my goal of $15,000 for 2024 to bring Dana Farber Closer by the Mile toward a cure for cancer. Unfortunately, I was not able to set a record with my riding. As most of you know, in June 2022 and again in September 2023, I had surgery on my left ankle due to a torn tendon I got while mountain biking and had not been able to ride in the PMC for the last two years. I’ve really tried to strengthen it, but my left leg is still significantly weaker than my right and it’s like pedaling with just one leg. So, I planned to ride 50 miles on Sunday from Babson to Gilette Stadium and back, which would be double my farthest ride this year. Not the 192 miles I usually do but more than the zero miles I did in 2022 and 2023. As before, I volunteered as a bike mechanic on Friday so was able to contribute that way.

I want you to know that I really tried. The surgery involved relocating my heel and screwing it back in place with deck screws – I'm not exaggerating, they’re huge. The doctor plans to remove them this winter and they usually don’t bother me. However, at Gillette (25 miles) my foot started to hurt and by the time I got to the 40-mile water stop, the pain was really bad. I’ve had pain before and deal with it by knowing it will be temporary and thinking of the names of the people I carry who deal with a lot worse pain for a lot longer than one or two days. But this time, I was worried about undoing the doctor’s repair and not wanting to go through a third surgery, decided to get a ride from the support van back to the finish line.

The hardest part was feeling I had not done my part. All of you have been great at donating to this ride and I felt the least I could do was bike 50 miles – under normal circumstances, 50 miles is a weekend training ride.

So, I'm writing this letter to thank those of you who have your part. We’re all part of the One in a BILLION!! success story. We reached that goal on July 12, 2024 and as I mentioned earlier, you helped me exceed my personal goal of $15,000!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For those of you who have not yet contributed, there is still time. It’d be great to set a fundraising record, with this being my 30th year participating in the PMC. Remember: 100 percent of every dollar raised supports their world-class research and care.

Our PMC fundraising will also support Dana-Farber’s Emergency Response Fund and help pay for:

• Unanticipated additional costs to keep cancer patients safe and prevent infection as they receive lifesaving treatments;

• New expenses for telemedicine technology that allows patients and families to visit with their Dana-Farber care team virtually;

• Pressing financial strains felt by patients and caregivers who lose employment or experience disruptions in dependent care due to school and other closures;

• Flexible funding for research and care due to the cancellation or postponement of hundreds of fundraising events benefitting Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund; and

• Obtaining additional personal protective equipment and supplies to keep the staff safe, too.

Here's where the money went in 2023:

https://www.pmc.org/hubfs/PMC%202023%20Impact%20Chart.pdf

The dollars we contribute now will provide relief for Dana-Farber patients and staff in the short term and deliver on the PMC mission of funding lifesaving cancer treatment and cures for the long term.

As I stated at the beginning of this letter, every donation brings us closer by the mile. Please donate to my PMC ride at one of the following links:

Click here to make a $1,000 donation
Click here to make a $500 donation
Click here to make a $250 donation
Click here to make a $100 donation
Click here to make a $50 donation
Click here to make $25 donation
Click here to make a donation of any other amount

The PMC supports DAF Direct to designate PMC riders for a charitable gift - Click here to support me with a gift from your Fidelity Donor Advised Fund.

Here’s another reason to support the PMC: With a donation of $50 or more, you can save on new or existing Massachusetts MAPFRE Insurance auto policy. Once you donate, forward your receipt to your insurance provider who can take it from there.

On behalf of the patients and staff at DFCI, cancer patients around the world for whom Dana-Farber research is lifesaving, and all our collective aspirations for a world without cancer:

Thank you for joining us on the road to find a cure!!!

YOU’RE ONE IN A BILLION!!!