On the first weekend of August I will again be riding in the annual Pan-Mass Challenge to help raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The PMC raises more money for charity than any other single event in the country. More than $900 million has been raised since 1980 with 69 million raised last year alone! This success would not have been possible without the generosity of people like you - people who care about a cure.

I ride for my daughter Avery who in 2014 at the age of 11 months was diagnosed with stage 4, high-risk, neuroblastoma. Avery underwent six rounds of intensive chemotherapy at Baystate Children's Hospital before we transferred her care to the world renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and neuroblastoma specialist, Dr. Suzanne Shusterman. With her guidance and the help of countless doctors and nurses at Boston Children's Hospital, Avery had a full tumor resection, autologous stem cell transplant, 12 rounds of targeted radiation therapy and 6 rounds of anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody therapy using an experimental drug which, after years of research by centers like the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, was accepted by the FDA as an approved treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma soon after the completion of Avery's treatment.

Avery is now 12 years old and has been cancer free for over eight years!

In 2017 Avery completed a trial of a drug called Crizotinib which is a proven therapy for other cancers and shows promise as an effecitve treatment to keep children like Avery in remission. Avery is one of only a handful of Neuroblastoma patients to ever receive this medication for this purpose (the first at Dana-Farber) and it is more evidence of the life-saving research being done at Dana-Farber. You can read more about Avery's journey HERE.

The Pan Mass Challenge generates more than 50% of the Jimmy Fund's annual revenue and it is Dana-Farber's single largest contributor. Every dollar donated supports the research and care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that has so greatly benefited Avery. This year I hope to raise at least $2,500. Please help support this amazing organization by donating to my PMC ride. Remember that 100% of every donation helps support the amazing work being done at Dana Farber Cancer Institute!