I will ride in this year’s Pan Mass Challenge with team CRUS11TOUR (crush tour)- a two-day, 192-mile bike ride across Massachusetts – in memory of my friend and former teammate Davey Hovey.

Davey was a talented athlete who played soccer, hockey and lacrosse at Westminster and was captain of the lacrosse team at St. Lawrence University. After graduation from college, Davey became an avid golfer and could be found on the course, usually with his brother Tommy, in any type of weather. Chatham, MA was a very special place to Davey. He enjoyed summers playing golf at Eastward Ho!, tennis at Chatham Beach & Tennis Club, and spending time with friends and family both on the beach and at the Chatham Squire.

After he was diagnosed with cancer, he took the fight to the golf course with grit & grace, playing in a 100-hole golf tournament and raising over $133,500 for glioblastoma research. He never gave up on his personal fight with cancer and he was determined to help others with theirs as well. He was a goof ball in the best way; fun-loving, energetic and made everyone’s lives brighter. His friends from St. Lawrence, Chatham, Westminster and Simsbury number in the thousands. He was so lucky to have a vast network of support during his fight.

CRUS11TOUR is the name that Davey gave to his battle against Stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The mission is simple, yet so important: Raise critical funds to support brain cancer research with a specialized focus on Glioblastoma.

I first met Davey at St. Lawrence University during my Freshman year on the lacrosse team. He was what people call an unspoken leader, letting his performance on the lacrosse field speak for itself. However, as I got to know Davey more by way of hanging around with his younger brother Tommy, I found that Davey was incredibly outgoing and just an all-around nice guy. My friendship with Davey lasted throughout our time at St. Lawrence and into our post-grad years living in Boston, getting together every now and then for a couple Guinness' at J.J. Foley's, or carpooling out to Chatham on a summer weekend to meet up with Tommy and other CT / St. Lawrence friends at the Squire.

I will also ride in memory of a close family friend and hometown legend, Matthew McDonough Sr., who sadly lost his battle with Glioblastoma in early December of 2017 (just 10 months after Davey's passing).

Matt was a part of my life ever since I can remember. The McDonough family moved to South Hadley right down the street from my parents just before I was born and their children are roughly the same age as my brother Ned and I. Our families became great friends over the years spending many birthdays, sports events and Holidays together.

Matthew J. McDonough III had a passion for life that was apparent in all that he did. Whether it was an evening out with friends, organizing bus trips to concerts and games, or patrolling the sidelines of the countless sporting events of his children you could count on Matt to be there with an enthusiastic smile and plenty of jokes. Blessed with the gift of gab, Matt made strangers feel like old friends. He had an amazing ability to make incredible and meaningful connections with everyone he encountered. Matt was extremely generous, caring, and loyal to his family and friends.

Matt was diagnosed with glioblastoma in May of 2016. After the initial diagnosis he underwent multiple surgeries and treatments as a part of his courageous fight against this aggressive cancer. One of these treatments involved participating in a clinical trial at Dana Farber. Sadly, Matt passed away on December 6, 2017, nineteen months to the day from his diagnosis. The care and compassion shown by all the doctors, nurses, and other staff at Dana Farber was truly remarkable and their continued efforts in finding a cure are a worthy cause for donation.

Please consider donating to my page - any donation amount is greatly appreciated, and all funds will specifically be going to neuro-oncology research performed by Davey’s doctor, Dr. David Reardon at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, so we can CRUS11 cancer once and for all. #KeepTheFaith #Crus11Tour #PMC