Why I PMC ( The short version… )
PEDALING FOR A CURE FOR CANCER.
We ride because we can.
We ride for those who cannot.
We ride because the training rides and the 192 miles on the two days of the Pan Massachusetts Challenge are NOTHING compared to living with the impacts of cancer.
I want to Thank You as always for your ongoing support of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund!
The patients of DFCI truly benefit from your generosity!
There Is A LOT Riding On Us!
Thank you,
Jim / Jimmy / Murph
P.S.
They say every picture tells a story.
This solemn 4-minute video – MORE TIME – says it all.
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I am Back in the Saddle, for Year 27, after my adventure with the UMass Trauma Center last June!
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Why I PMC (The LONG version…)
Dear Friends and Family,
I am hoping you can support my ride again this year with a generous contribution to the Pan Mass Challenge,
which funds the Researchers and Caregivers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Pan Mass Challenge 2025
- This is my 27th year participating in the PMC, a 2-day 192-mile cycle each August across Massachusetts;
- Last year my PMC was 'Reimagined' due to my catastrophic bike crash, while attempting to cross dilapidated railroad tracks in Lancaster MA while on a training ride to Mt. Wachusett - June '2024. The emergency LifeFlight to the ICU, and subsequent 6 months of rehab for my 5 broken bones and collapsed lung is unforgettable - but a memory I am detemined to never repeat. (Go big or go home, as they say!)
- I am feeling stronger, and back for the PMC Trifecta in 2025 ...
Winter Cycle with Cormac last February at Fenway Park ...
the Traditional Pan Mass Challenge this August ... and
PMC Unpaved with Melissa in October in The Berkshires
- I began riding in 1999 to honor the memory of Emmett Pulliam, my best friend from Charlestown growing up who passed away far too young.
- I have learned too much about this awful disease, as we have had more family and friends impacted over the years including Bonnie’s mom, Betsy, and her Dad Clayt.
- In addition to the memory of family and friends that we have lost, my ride this year is dedicated to
- Several friends and family currently undergoing cancer treatment
(Fran, Shelli, Tommy, Lisa, Gary, Donna, Ann P, and Ann M …)
- Plus many ‘Living Proof Survivors’ who are post-treatment
(Peggy, Pam, Ryan, Mary, Boo, Richie C, Katelyn, Jack, Kate … )
- In 2024 we crushed our goal to exceed $1 Billion since the start of the PMC in 1980
all in support the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
- What is remarkable … and one of the best facts of this organization ...
100% of every dollar of your gift goes to Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
The Pan Mass Challenge continues to make an unparalleled impact in the fight against cancer.
- Evidence of this:
Almost 1,000 fellow PMC riders - patients who have been treated at Dana Farber - who are now cancer SURVIVORS. These survivors are Living Proof of your donations and the PMCs efforts!
- Your donations are used to fund direct care for patients, and importantly we fund Research and Clinical Trials for the latest advances in treatments –
- Stem Cell / Bone Marrow transplants, as well as more recently, the rapid development of personalized Immunotherapy,
where the patient’s own cells are used to boost their body’s immune response to their cancers. VERY Promising!!
NOW - more than ever - the fact remains that government funding for this cutting-edge research is being cut back, so your PMC donations allow Dana Farber to expand these research studies and to develop the resulting treatment advances at a much faster rate.
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Important facts to know regarding your contributions:
- The Pan-Mass Challenge is the nation's original fundraising bike-a-thon, and
we raise more money for charity than any other athletic fundraising event in the country
- Today, the PMC is the single largest contributor to Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund and is responsible for more than 60 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.
- In 2024 the PMC gave $75 million to DFCI
- This chart shows how that money made a difference:
- PMC 2023 Impact Chart [ https://www.pmc.org/hubfs/PMC%202023%20Impact%20Chart.pdf ]
- Our New England Patriots-sponsored team, the 200+ member “Patriots Platelet Pedalers - The PPP”
raised over $1.5MM for our 2-day ride again in 2024 with over $16,500,000 raised in the last 16 years!
- A great team of riders, with a great sponsor - the Kraft Family and the New England Patriots Foundation
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I want to THANK YOU as always for your ongoing support of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund!
The patients of DFCI truly benefit from your generosity!
Sincerely,
Jim Sullivan
We are getting Closer By The Mile!
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A Note About The Team We Ride for - The Patriot Platelet Pedalers
Our (Your!) donations continue to fund the research efforts of Dr Kenneth Anderson.
Ken is a remarkably successful investigator at Dana Farber, and his achievements have had profound and wide-ranging benefits in the treatment of blood-based as well as solid tumor cancers.
For a glimpse into his character, I have excerpted from an interview with Ken a couple of years back.
Quoting:
“I was introduced to academic medicine by Richard L. Humphrey, MD, from Johns Hopkins Medical School, a myeloma specialist who taught me two important lessons that have served as my motivation ever since:
- “Make science count for patients by improving diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment,
and
- Treat patients like family.”
Dr Anderson’s DFCI BIO is at
https://www.dana-farber.org/find-a-doctor/kenneth-c-anderson
Visit https://tinyurl.com/DrKennethAnderson to learn about his remarkable success
which is FUNDED BY YOUR DONATIONS!
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I cannot end my annual appeal without an invitation to join us Weekly … Monthly … Even Once ...
AT THE KRAFT FAMILY BLOOD DONOR CENTER IN BOSTON TO DONATE PLATELETS
Here is a 2-minute video of Casey, one of our Platelet beneficiaries:
Casey Is Living Proof of the Value and Importance of Platelet Donations
http://www.tinyurl.com/CaseyIsLivingProof
Ss I once asked … What are Platelets, and why are Platelet donations needed?
Platelets are a component in our blood to stop us from bleeding.
Platelets are the cells that circulate within our blood and bind together when they recognize damaged blood vessels. When you get a cut, for example, Platelets bind to the site of the damaged vessel, thereby causing your blood to clot.
Platelet counts drop when something is preventing the body from producing Platelets.
There are a wide range of causes for this, including:
- Certain types of cancer, such as leukemia or lymphoma
- Chemotherapy treatment for cancer
- Kidney infection or dysfunction,
- Certain medications
Considering that Platelets have a short 5-day shelf life, blood supplies for the Dana Farber patients need to be continuously replenished.
Donating takes about 1 ½ - 2 hours, and typically yields 2 or 3 units of Platelets for the patients.
You can contact me to learn more about donating Platelets
Or
by sending an email to blooddonor@partners.org
Or
by following this link: https://tinyurl.com/DonateAtKFBDC
Or
by calling (888)-LETS-GIV or (617) 632-3206
Please consider this very important donation at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center.
It is truly a gift of life!
