Every year, in the first weekend of August, thousands of cyclists ride 163 miles from Wellesley to Provincetown, raising millions of dollars; all of it going to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  Last year, the PMC marked the donation of  $1 billion to cancer research since 1980; money that has helped to fund the development of dozens of new cancer treatments. It is probably impossible to say how many people are alive today as a direct result of this research, but there are many. My mother   is one of them.

My mother has ridden in the PMC 15 times over the last 18 years, always with ‘Pook’s Pedalers,’ a team of her friends named in honor of our family friend, Jonathan ‘Pook’ Souweine, who died of leukemia 16 years ago. Mom had planned to ride again this summer, but her own cancer returned this spring. Thankfully, her prognosis is good, she’ll still be there to cheer on the team, and I’ll be riding in her stead. 

I’ve made a commitment to raising $6000 as my own small way of chipping in. In these days, with billions in medical research already cut or under threat across the country, fundraising efforts like the PMC are as vital as they have ever been. Even in grim and uncertain times such as these, our own small individual efforts add up, and the sum total of them makes all the difference in the world. 

Thanks for reading, and for your support. 

Sincerely,

Joe