This will be my 5th year riding the Pan Mass Challenge. Something that started as a personal feat while simply raising money for cancer has turned into a very important cause for me. When people learn that I ride the PMC, they share their stories or stories of their friends' cancer journey. As one could imagine, the outcome of these are not all good. Hearing these stories and seeing how cancer impacts people’s lives is my main motivation to sign up year after year, hoping that eventually, I will hear more success stories during these encounters.
For the first 3 years, I dedicated my ride to the memory of my mother, who lost her battle to esophageal cancer in December of 2018. Last year, to process another profound loss, I rode in honor of my great friend Mark Shaye, who passed in September of 2023. I do not have anyone that I will be riding for this year, although both Mark and Deb will be pinned on my back again. Instead, I will be riding for whomever you, my donors, would like me to ride for. I will be carrying a flag with all the names of people who are fighting or who have lost their fight to cancer. If you would like to share stories of your friends or family members that have compelled you to donate to this cause, I would be honored to add their name to my flag. This will be in my jersey pouch for the entire weekend.
This year, I am modifying my route slightly. Traditionally, I ride the 186 mile, 2-day route from Sturbridge to Provincetown. Day 1 remains the same (Sturbridge to Mass Maritime in Bourne), but on day 2 I will be riding from Wellesley to Foxborough with my oldest son, Braden. He has signed up with Team Velominati and is riding his 1st adult PMC route, a 25 mile point to point ride. I felt the need to be with him for his first ride so this year only, I will be riding 136 miles to be with him.
With our support, Dana Farber can continue their amazing efforts to treat and hopefully cure this disease that we have all dealt with in one way or another. With 100% of all donations going towards groundbreaking cancer research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, you can feel comfortable knowing that your donation is being maximized to fight this disease. Thanks for reading this and your support.
