Dear friends and family,

This August, I’ll be riding in the 2025 Pan-Mass Challenge — 162 miles across Massachusetts — to raise money for cancer research and care. For me, this isn’t just a ride — it’s a tribute, a grieving process, and a commitment to hope.

In February, I lost my mom after a fifteen-year battle with cancer. She was first diagnosed in 2010, and over the next decade, she endured surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, clinical trials — and still somehow remained the steady, loving center of our family. Even when cancer kept her physically distant or too weak to be there in person, she never stopped cheering for us. She was always in our corner — always cheering, even if it had to be from a hospital bed or from the other side of a screen.

Riding the PMC this year is my way of carrying her voice forward. It’s how I stay connected to her, how I keep moving through the loss, and how I try to give back to the research that gave us more time than we ever expected.

At the same time, my aunt — my dad’s sister — is now facing her own battle. She was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive and unforgiving brain cancer. Her courage cannot be measured. She has taken on this fight with grit and grace, and our family once again finds itself in the grip of this terrible disease — hoping, praying, and doing everything we can to support her.

So I ride — for my mother, whose strength still guides me. For my aunt, who is in the thick of her fight. And for every family that has heard the words “you have cancer” and had their world turned upside down.

100% of every dollar raised through the Pan-Mass Challenge goes directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — supporting groundbreaking research and compassionate patient care. I ride so that one day, fewer families will have to walk the road mine has.

If you can, please consider supporting my ride with a donation, sharing my story, or simply keeping us in your thoughts.

With love and gratitude,
Jesse