On August 3rd and 4th my son James and I will be participating in our fourth Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) fundraising road bike ride as members of the CRUS11TOUR Team. The PMC's mission is to raise funds for cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 100% of every rider-raised dollar goes directly to Dana-Farber. Again this year we are riding the original PMC two day route that starts in the western Massachusetts town of Sturbridge and finishes in Provincetown. Day one we ride 109 miles followed by 77 miles on day two for a total of 186 miles.

Since the last PMC I have clocked over 3,000 miles of training split between the road bike and the Peloton in order not to be embarrassed by the twenty-something riders on our team. More importantly I am training for a ride to raise funds that will help make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. We all have friends and family who have battled cancer. I ride to raise funds to win the battle. Please consider donating to my ride. I will personally match the first $5,000 in contributions.

Lastly, below is the story of Davey Hovey and the CRUS11TOUR Team which James and I proudly ride for as team members.

CRUS11TOUR is the name that David (Davey) Hovey gave to his battle against Stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Davey grew up in Simsbury, CT and Chatham, MA. He graduated from Westminster School and then St. Lawrence Univ., where he captained the Lacrosse team in 2013. He was just 25 years old when he was diagnosed and fought bravely through multiple surgeries, seizures and treatments as he had every intention of “crushing” his tumor. Sadly, Davey passed away after a courageous 16-month battle. During this time, he partnered with Golf Fights Cancer, raising substantial funds through participation in their 100-hole Golf Marathon (June 2016) as well as initiating a 9 member Boston Marathon Team (April 2017). He left behind a loving family and many close friends, all of who have vowed to keep his CRUS11TOUR legacy alive. His strength and competitive spirit have motivated many to raise money for important brain cancer research, specifically being conducted by Dr. David Reardon and his team at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Davey taught us many valuable lessons during his battle with cancer: the importance of family and friends, giving back, and always to “Keep the Faith”!! CRUS11TOUR never ends!