Dear friends,
(My 2024 PMC highlights, are just below this letter, enjoy the ride!)
On February 1, I cycled in the PMC Winter Cycle at the Fenway Park Pavillion with 150 other like-minded PMC fundraisers. It was the first time our Team PopSciCycles was entered into this 1-day spinning marathon. I rode with 3 new PMC Team members and we all agreed that this would become our new annual event. As always, I was so inspired with the 30-year old cancer survivor, the mom of a Pedal Partner (child with cancer) and especially our brave spin instructor whose father died 2 weeks ago from cancer, who spoke that day - always reminds me of how lucky I am that I "get", not have to, but get to do this as I am fortunate to be in good health and motivated to do so to raise money for cancer research and patient care.
And now I can say that I rode ahead of Billy Star, the founder of the PMC, the entire ride as his spin bike was behind mine!
This year I will ride my 21st PMC ride on the 85-mile loop from Wellesley to Bourne as a member of Team PopSciCycles with Stu (11th year), Brad (5th year), Erica (1st year and Brad's girlfriend) and Benja (1st year and Julia's boyfriend). Julia (5 years) is recovering from knee surgery and will volunteer with KK in Bourne and meet us there. A PMC family affair!
So, please consider contributing to my fundraising efforts as you may have done so generously in the past. To date, I have raised over $128,000 since 2005. If you would like to donate to my PMC ride, please use the following link: http://pmc.org/egifts/LP0071 If you prefer to write a check, please make your check out to “PMC” and mail it to me at 2 C Street, Hull MA 02045. Thank you!
Why do I ride each year?
This year, I ride especially for our nephew, Nick, who was diagnosed 2 years ago with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He is currently in treatment and his prognosis looks great with new treatments, including immunotherapy. We were grateful that our connection to the Division of Population Sciences helped us to get recommendations for doctors in L.A. where he lives. When cancer hits so close to home and hits loved ones, I really appreciate how our fundraising makes a difference in research on new treatments. It also gives me a sense of control and of feeling helpful even though I’m not able to help in a more direct way.
I ride for my friend, Patti, who died from pancreatic cancer in May of 2022. On Patti's prayer card it read: “How do you live your dash?” By “the dash”, she meant one's life between your birth and death dates . . . so I ask myself, 'How do I want to live my dash?' Thanks, Patti, for the reminder!
I ride for Jaqueline, daughter of dear friends, Maribeth and Erach, and once our PMC Pedal Partner, who died tragically in 2011, at the age of 18, from osteosarcoma. When Jacqueline was in treatment, we asked for 1,000 cranes and received over 2,000 cranes with which we made her a bedside sculpture. The extra 1,000 cranes went to another larger sculpture that was hung in the Childrens' Hospital lobby. Members of our Team wear the remaining cranes and attach them to our helmets on all our PMC rides in her honor. We have been riding with Erach since then and he is a member on our Team.
PMC Team PopSciCycle's Pedal Partner ... Ellie!
Every year, we also ride for our PMC Pedal Partner, 11-year old Ellie, who is a patient at The Jimmy Fund Clinic. Ellie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia B-Cell and is currently in remission.
Her mother described her incredible journey this way: Ellie was diagnosed with leukemia in March 2019, just a few weeks after her fifth birthday. She spent a month at Boston Children’s Hospital receiving chemo treatments that had some pretty uncomfortable side-effects and left her pretty weak. After the initial hospitalization, she suffered one of the most severe chemo side effects and was placed in the ICU for pancreatitis, resulting in a pancreatic cyst that had to be surgically removed in fall of 2020. Through it all, Ellie demonstrated her fierce spirit and determination, which is still going strong in fourth grade. She is officially in remission and taking on new challenges - from learning Spanish and violin at school to every kind of sport - soccer, swimming, basketball - to six weeks of overnight camp this summer - she is a force to be reckoned with.
Our Team is so inspired by Ellie, her parents, Doug and Leah, and her little sister, Annie, and we ride for all of them on PMC weekend. Leah and Doug shared Ellie’s experience at a Jimmy Fund Red Sox Telethon. Please take a look: Telethon
Team PopSciCycles - Year #4
This year is the fourth year we rode for our new Team PopSciCycles to raise money for the McGraw/Patterson Division for Population Sciences at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). As the name suggests, my father-in-law, Dr. W. Bradford Patterson, was instrumental in the founding and growth of the Division of Population Sciences. So, we created our new Team in honor of “Brad”, as he was known! http://profile.pmc.org/TP0238 Please go to our Team Profile page to read more about the McGraw/Patterson Division of Population Sciences.
Background on the McGraw/Patterson Division for Population Sciences – Past & Present
When Brad joined the DFCI in late 1970, he became the first head of a new Division of Cancer Control. Among the many important initiatives he championed, Brad persuaded DFCI to institute a no-smoking policy throughout the institute at a time when such a move was radical. It was the first hospital in Boston to do it, and the other hospitals in Boston followed suit.
In late 1980, a grateful patient established a Fellowship in Brad’s name to underwrite research in ways to prevent cancer and to use the Patterson Fellows’ research to educate more and more “populations” about their findings. Soon thereafter, another grateful patient, Anne McGraw, began making generous donations to the Fellowship such that it grew to the point that the DFCI decided to form and fund a new Division for Population Sciences with the McGraw and Patterson names at the front!
Now, in the words of the current Director, Dr. Eliezer van Allen, the Division’s research has grown to comprise an incredible range of projects aimed at: designing effective cancer care and control delivery systems, promoting best practices in health communication, managing genetic cancer risk and susceptibility, reducing health disparities, promoting healthy behaviors, and optimizing care quality … all to reduce the burden of cancer.
So many reasons to ride … and, I hope, for you to give.
And, finally, I ride of course for all our other friends and family who have had cancer and, thankfully, survived … and for those friends and family who sadly did not.
Thanks so much for your support.
And let's all think of Patti ... Live your dash!
Love, Lisa
Here are my 2024 PMC Highlights:
162 miles… completed without flats or falls! What a memorable PMC filled with gratitude as our immediate family either rode or volunteered on PMC weekend.
What a hot day of cycling on Saturday, second hottest PMC on record (yes, I did the hottest years back). And on Sunday, it was cooler, windier and cloudier - so a much better day to cycle!
As usual, I’ll try to bring you “along for the ride”in my highlights of my ride below. What makes PMC so wonderful is it’s a mix of traditions that happen every year and of unexpected surprises of that day. Here are my highlights:
2024 PMC Highlights:
Day 1: Wellesley to Bourne 84 miles, 3 water stops & lunch
1. The start filled us with tremendous gratitude and pride as Team PopSciCycles (see our profile https://profile.pmc.org/TP0238), only established 3 years ago by Stu and me, all 17 of us gathered in Wellesley and lined up in our team jerseys as we waited for the start. So grateful for our new team jerseys - the colors of the jersey (orange and blue) stood out in the sea of hundreds of other riders around you in their red 2024 PMC jerseys - so we were easy to find at waterstops and on the road. There were a total of 6,880 riders over both days on various routes.
Traditionally, after the National Anthem is sung, “Beautiful Day” by U2 was blasted over the speakers and off we edge to the start. That song turns on my PMC gene and off I go!
2. I’m always so moved but the signs created by spectators on the side of the road to cheer us on - “I’m 11 Because of You” held by a young child, “A Grateful Dana-Farber Patient Lives Here” poster left by the side of the road, “My Daughter is 26 Because of You”, “Because of your Feats, my Heart Beats” posted with classical music blaring behind a woman in a wheelchair, “My Son is Alive Because of You”…
3. At mile 67 in Lakeville, the Pedal Partner Tent, is where we meet up with Ellie, our Pedal Partner for the last 3 years, and her family. But before you get there, on the right side of the road, about 75 posters of the PMC Pedal Partners guide you up the hill to the water stop. You see all children in all stages of their cancer treatment. Arriving at the Pedal Partner tent you witness the gravity of cancer and the hope of remission. Ellie, now 10 and in remission, along with her sister, Annie , and their mom, Leah were so happy to greet our Team, taking photos, handing out bracelets Ellie and Annie made for the Team and iced towels for our necks. If you have a complaint about the heat… you just take a look around and stop complaining.
4. Mile 84: DAY ONE DONE! Julia, Stu and myself crossed the finish together, Brad was ahead of us and KK, who had volunteered in Bourne organizing the rider’s luggage was waiting at the finish for us! We got our Christmas photo!
5. Over to the humongous PMC Party Tent on the campus of Mass Maritime. Julia, Brad, Stu and I stayed in a dorm in bunk beds with a canal view! Showered and off for our PMC Team Photo scheduled at 4:50pm, a 15-Minute massage for 2-day riders at 5:30pm offered by 150 massage therapists, and a much needed dinner! Then off to sleep by 8:30pm for a 4:00am alarm! It’s amazing how quiet the entire campus is after 8:00pm and comes alive again at 4:00am.
Day 2: Bourne to Provincetown - 78 miles, 3 water stops & lunch
6. On the bike again by 5:15am, the first hill is the Bourne Bridge. PMC is the only time an entire lane of this bridge is closed to cars and restricted to cyclists only. It’s quite a view as you cross the canal as the sun rises.
7. Ways to cool off:
8. So many people on the side of the road thanking you for riding. As a good friend said, “you feel like a rock star” when you ride as so many are thanking you for riding or cheering you on. There was a lobster and crab playing accordions, “Fred Flinstone” appeared a few times on the course, drag queens dressed for cocktails, a bag piper playing his pipes, some drumming, some dancing and some playing loud music. But most are out there just to say thank you for riding. I wonder why they thank you so sincerely. Do they have cancer, know someone who has cancer, or lost someone to cancer?
9. The last 10 miles from the Wellfleet water stop are the most exciting and the worst! First, we missed the right hand turn (yes, it was marked) just after the Wellfleet water stop and luckily, Zoe, one of our co-captains, saw us miss the turn and called me. We had gone about half a mile in the wrong direction, so we turned around and made our way to Provincetown. Silver lining is that we finally met up with Zoe and her dad, David, in Wellfleet - and she saved us many miles had we not started out with them!
The first time you see Provincetown in the distance, it sends a chill down your spine for many reasons: breathtaking dunes, the wind - always windy on Route 6 that slows you down, the last remaining hills that loom in front of you, the noise of the cars whizzing by and the howl of the wind. And it’s the last ten miles - it’s exciting that you are almost done and grueling as your body is telling you in many ways it’s time to get off your bike!
We arrived at the Monument Finish by 12:30pm and was met by Brad who met me there with my luggage as it had gone to the other finish where he and Julia finished. I was happy to see him and my luggage so I could take a shower in the provided shower trucks. Then it is a short walk to town to board the ferry. The other finish at Provincetown Inn is 1-mile from town and that walk to the ferry is not what you want to do after riding 77 miles!
10. Julia and Brad went back to Boston on the slow ferry aka the PMC Party Boat! Hundreds of riders on the deck with a live band. Julia managed to rally once the rain fell on the revelers as Brad looked for a quiet place to rest! They saw whales breaching on their trip home!
Stu and I were on the fast ferry to Boston, aka PMC Quiet Boat, with all the pleasures of padded seats, outlets to charge my phone, and relative peace and quiet.
The only rain we experienced was when we were on the ferry and it ended just before we arrived in Boston! We arrived at 5:30pm, grabbed their luggage and bikes as they were trucked from Provincetown and met them at 6:30. Home by 7:30!
All very tired, but extremely grateful for a safe ride and all agreed to ride the 2-day next year!
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As I noted in my donation request,“I get” to ride. Sounds simple, it is. Walking by all the “Living Proof”, maybe over 200 riders and volunteers (two of them members of our team) and volunteers who are cancer survivors, having their photos taken, their largest group ever, they are a reminder and give great perspective to my life.
Thank you for reading my long thank you! I am so grateful for your support as I fundraise for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for cancer research and patient care.
Thanks again, enjoy the rest of your summer.
Love, Lisa
Highlights from August 2023 Ride
What a glorious day of cycling on Saturday, weather-wise it was an A+. It has to be up there as one of the best days ever for PMC weekend!
As usual, I’ll try to bring you “along for the ride”in my highlights of the ride below. What makes PMC so wonderful is it’s a mix of traditions that happen every year and of unexpected surprises of that day. This year, what would have been 84 miles to Bourne ended up being 64 miles due to a Shakepearean Comedy of Errors. Here’s the story in highlights:
2023 PMC Highlights - Day 1: Wellesley to Bourne
1. The start filled us with tremendous gratitude and pride as Team PopSciCycles (see our profile https://profile.pmc.org/TP0238), only established last year, gathered in Wellesley and lined up together in our team jerseys as we waited for the start. Our newest member, Ramya, who was only biking on Sunday, rode her bike over to cheer us on … what Team spirit! After the National Anthem was sung, a “Beautiful Day” by U2 was blasted over the speakers and off we went.
2. Here is our “comedy of errors”…
We could have been mistaken for an F1 racing team with all the tire changes done by mechanics!
3. After I got a new tube back at the first water stop, we were now at least 45 min/hour behind our team and everyone else riding ahead! Calculating it all and not wanting to be behind our team and missing our Pedal Partner at mile 57 - I saw the van used to take “injured or tired” riders and I asked for us to get a ride to lunch. So we hopped in with Michael, a 12-year cancer survivor, who has volunteered every year since and is so grateful to be able to drive on PMC weekend. 19 miles later… We pulled a “Rosie Ruiz” (hopefully, you are old enough to remember her!) move and had the van pull over and we got out and joined the riders for the last mile before the lunch stop! Our Team wondered “how did you beat us?”… of course, we fessed up!
4. As you ride, your mind wanders, you look for signs from “your above”, inspiration from wherever it may come. On a nasty hill, a side road sign reads “Chickster Way”. I thought I’m one tough ‘Chickster” as I passed some cyclists walking up the hill! A company sign in Rochester, “Taken for Granite”, …made me think you shouldn’t take anything for granted! Then came “A Notch Above” tree company… Yes, I’m feeling “a notch above” now as I’m on the last leg of my PMC ride! Wandering minds…
5. The signs created by spectators on the side of the road to cheer us on - “I’m Alive Because of You” held by a young child and “A Survivor Lives Here” poster left by the side of the road, and another, “Smile - You Will Ride Faster”. I smiled but my mph did not improve:)
6. Along mile 67, so many PMC Pedal Partner posters line the road. You see all children in all stages of their cancer treatment. I saw Ellie’s poster, our Pedal Partner, and saw her big smile! Arriving at the Pedal Partner tent you witness the gravity of cancer and the hope of remission. I saw one mom who had shaved her head to resemble her bald child asleep in her lap–love and hope abounds. Ellie, now 11 and in remission, was so happy to greet our Team, taking photos and then showing us her gymnastics ability in the grass; such a different child from 4 years ago when first diagnosed.
7. Grateful for our new team jerseys - the colors of the jersey (teal, orange and blue) stood out in the sea of hundreds of other riders in their “quieter” 2023 PMC jerseys - so we were easy to find at waterstops and on the road. There were a total of 5,880 riders over both days.
8. I love the opportunity to talk with other riders along the way - as their name, city, years riding PMC, Team name - are on tags pinned to their bikes. Also, depending on what may be on someone's jersey - photo of loved ones, ribbons of names, or the origami cranes on our helmets (see story on my profile https://profile.pmc.org/LP0071) - one thing we all have in common is we ride for someone and to find a cure. All wonderful conversation starters!
9. Mile 84 (or 64?) - DONE! PMC Team Photo scheduled at 3:45 in Bourne - pulled in just in time at 3:30 after a long day of flats and tire changes, water stops, and a Pedal Partner stop. We made it to the flagpole to have our photos taken, volunteers and riders alike on our Team. After, Stu and I talked to our Team of friends to tell them how grateful we were that we all made it without any injuries and all their support.
10. I “get” to ride. Sounds simple, it is. Walking by all the “Living Proof”, maybe over 200 riders (one of them a member of our team) and volunteers who are cancer survivors, having their photos taken, their largest group ever, they are a reminder and give great perspective.
Thank you for reading my long thank you! I so appreciate that you choose to continue to support me as I support The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Who knows, maybe 2-day ride next year? Oh no, my thank you, could be twice as long!
Thanks again, enjoy the rest of your summer.
Love, Lisa
Kids Ride, mom of Elle, PMC Kids Ride volunteer extraordinaire and PMC rider herself for over 20 years! Such synchronicity in the car and great conversation started so early in the morning! PMC riders are like-minded, I guess.
6. This observation is not for the faint of heart and I feel like I should mention this as the PMC is still a ride with thousands of cyclists and cars on the road. One of my friends, a veteran rider, riding with her daughter, a first-time rider, witnessed what no parent should ever experience: her daughter flipped over her handle bars and over a guard rail, and caught her shoulder on the guard rail which opened up a nasty large gash which resulted in many stitches. We all thought of how worse this could have been if she had hit lower on the guard rail… but still a horrible accident no matter what and allcaused by a PMC cyclist who decided it was more important to get by faster and cut her off which resulted in the accident.
The other incident, which I witnessed was a near miss collision with a car that my friend if he hadn’t swerved when he did… hate to think what would have happened. This person in the car must have thought “I won’t let you take a left in front of my car and will even speed up to close the gap”, even though there was time for my friend to make the left as he signaled that he was taking the left. So frightening. Patience and respect for others were not in practice here by these two individuals. These are the exceptions to a great day but are harsh reminders that we are very vulnerable to accidents.
7. The signs along the road may be funny: “PMC=Pour Me a Cocktail “, “PMC=Prefer My Car”,PMC=Plump Men Cycling”, and heartwarming: “3 Cancer Survivors Thank You”, and more direct: “U Ride We Live “
8. In Lakeville, as we ride for about a mile to the third water stop, mile 60, we are greeted by posters of all the PMC Teams’ Pedal Partners, children currently in treatment for cancer at The Jimmy Fund Clinic at DFCI. Everything is now in perspective once you see those smiling faces inspiring you to ride. At the Pedal Partner Tent, we meet up with Team Perini’s Pedal Partners, Poppy, 7, and Elena, 10. Unfortunately, Quinnie, our newest Pedal Partner is in isolation at home in Weymouth after his treatment. Poppy and Elena have greeted us since they were 2 years old!
9. This is a thank you to all the spectators that ply the riders with food and drink along the route. Some even have a spray of water to cool you off. We are offered popsicles, Twizzlers, water, oranges, Gatorade, and one with a sign greeting you as “The Hop Spot” and young adults with their “Beer Crew” t-shirts on handing out Bud Lights! Needless to say, I skipped on that hand out!
10. The finish line, Mile 83 in Bourne at Mass Maritime – food (new this year: shrimp tacos!) and a shower in sight! Stu and I cross it with a sense of satisfaction, purpose and love. But before we shower or eat, we convince a young volunteer with a golf cart to bring us to meet up with Team Perini for an organized team photo that will happen in 5 minutes and that is a 10-minute walk with luggage – pure heaven not running over to make our time as I’m quite sure I couldn’t run the distance!
July 27, 2019
Dear friends,
In 2 days, I will ride 83 miles with Stu and 6,000 oher cyclists in my 14th Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) from Wellesley to Bourne. The weather looks great, 80s and sunny, no rain, as it rained for half my ride last year!
As I sit here on our last day of vacation, I feel incredibly blessed as I am here with family and in general good health, as I have just heard that a young friend from Hingham has succombed to cancer, only diagnosed a few months ago and just read about our latest PMC Pedal Partner, Quinn, who has a brain tumor. All makes me so more determined for my PMC ride.
So far, I have logged over 1,508 miles riding in the PMC (not counting the endless hours of training!) and raised over $89,005 for research and care for cancer patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston over the last 13 years thanks to the support of my friends. I've made a personal and financial commitment to ride and fundraise the minimum of $4,000 to ride from Wellesley to Bourne and I'm almost there!
Sadly, we all are touched by cancer; some of my reasons for riding in the PMC are below. If you don’t have time to read and would just like to donate now, please do! You can see why I'm so passionate about this fundraiser.
To donate to my PMC ride, please use the following link: http://pmc.org/egifts/LP0071 If you prefer to write a check, please make your check out to “PMC” and mail it to me at 2 C Street, Hull MA 02045 and I will send it to my PMC account.
Why do I ride each year to raise for funds to beat this insidious disease? I will try to summarize as best as I can....
My Top 10 Highlights of My 2018 Ride! To really understand why I continue to ride each year, please jump down below to read my top ten highlights of my ride. Every year I post my observations, and each year I'm always reminded why I make no other plans on the first weekend in August but to ride in the PMC.
Support for Team Perini's mission. I ride for Team Perini and have been a member for the last 14 years. Team Perini was established in the memory of David Perini Jr. Parents of David, Eileen and Dave Perini took their grief of losing their son, David, at the age of 26 and focused it on creating the first ever cancer survivors' network in the country at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 1990. Eileen and Dave raised more than $11.5 million and launched the David P. Perini Jr. Quality of Life Clinic to advance research and clinical care for cancer survivors. The clinic focuses on survivors of pediatric cancers. What a beautiful tribute to their own child that they lost to cancer. I am so proud to have be a part of the Team and ride for their mission.
Origami cranes adorn my helmet. As you can see in my photo that my helmet has origami cranes attached to it. Each year I adorn my cranes folded in love for Jacqueline who sadly died at the age of 18 from osteosarcoma. When Jacqueline was in treatment, we asked for 1,000 cranes and received over 2,000 to make her a bedside sculpture, the extra 1,000 cranes went to another sculpture that hung at Childrens' Hospital, and finally, some of the remaining cranes go on my helmet the day of the ride since she passed.
Pediatric cancer, what more needs to be said? I ride for the children stricken with cancer, whose childhood is put on hold while they receive treatment for their particular type of cancer. OR like Jacqueline, never get to get past their childhood. I volunteered for a year on the 6th floor at Children's Hospital where children with cancer were treated. I will never forget the children, parents, and staff on that floor doing what they must do to heal or make comfortable for those being treated. Less than 4% of government funding goes towards childhood cancer, yet cancer is the leading cause of disease related death in children.
As I mentioned above, I ride for Team Perini and we ride in honor of our alumni PMC Pedal Partners, 10-year old Elena and 7-year old Poppy who greet us at the third water stop on the first day of the PMC ride in August at the Pedal Partner Tent. Our newest Pedal Partner is Quinn from Weymouth and will not be at the tent as he is in isolaltion at home.
Please meet Team Perini’s Pedal Partners:
Quinnie
Quinnie, “The Mighty Quinn”, was celebrating his 3rd birthday one Sunday in February 2019 and was in Children’s Hospital the next, leading to a diagnosis of a brain tumor on his brain stem, more commonly known as Medulloblastoma. Days later, he had 95% of the tumor removed (“resected”) and is currently a patient in a trial under the supervision of Dana-Farber and The Jimmy Fund Clinic. He has gone through numerous rounds of chemotherapy, months of hospitalizations and a stem cell transplant.
Medulloblastoma is the most common central nervous system (CNS) embryonal tumour and the most common high grade childhood tumour, accounting for 15-20% of all childhood brain tumours. They are commonly found in children between ages of three and eight, with a higher occurrence in males.
Sadly, Quinnie is in isolation at home, so his only way of seeing people is “in his window.” He will look out the window during the day and say “any visitors?” Check out his Facebook Page The Mighty Quinn - the best photos and videos of Quinn at this window and his visitors!
Elena
On July 1, 2011, Elena was 2-years old was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She was inpatient at Children’s Hospital for 45 days and then received treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic until August 9, 2013, when she had her last dose of chemo! She will be six years off treatment in August 2017. She looks forward to cheer on Team Perini every year. From Elena's mom, Elena turned 10 in March and is in 4th grade...double digits! She is down to a once a year check up at the Jimmy Fund which we love! She is starting swim team tomorrow for the first time and has started guitar lessons which she is really enjoying. Looking forward to seeing everyone!
Poppy
Poppy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a tumor on her retina) at the age of 4 months. With the timely diagnosis and treatment, Poppy was considered to be in remission before her first birthday. She continues to see her ophthalmologist, Dr. Ankoor Shah, every six months for an exam under anesthesia to ensure that there isn't any tumor regrowth. Throughout all of her treatments and follow-up exams, Poppy has never lost her happy-go-lucky disposition! With each subsequent office exam, Poppy's vision continues to improve. From Poppy's mom, Kate, Poppy just finished 1st grade and is heading into 2nd grade in September. She had a wonderful school year but is enjoying her summer off!!! Poppy just played the role of a wicked stepsister, Pearl, in a spin-off of Cinderella. It was her first time having several lines and she crushed it!?? Poppy is quite the actress. She is healthy and happy and we have her annual Dana-Farber/Jimmy Fund Clinic day coming up at the end of August. Hopefully all is well and she can move into the Survivor Clinic!!
Last, you can stop now if you have read my letters before, as I must tell my first connection with DFCI is due to my late father-in-law, Dr. Brad Patterson. Brad was the first one to introduce me to DFCI. Brad was a surgeon (one of the first surgeons to perform lumpectomies instead of radical mastectomies) and then as Director of Cancer Control (now called Population Sciences). Brad is credited with, among other things, making DFCI a smoke-free environment … imagine they used to allow smoking at this renowned cancer center!
I went to a luncheon where Brad was honored by the Fellows of the Patterson Fellowship program and one of the Fellows at that luncheon was Dr. Lisa Diller who later became the Medical Director of the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at DFCI. The coincidence or miracle is that I ride for Team Perini, meant to be!
And of course, I ride for all the friends and family who have had cancer and, thankfully, survived … and to those friends and family who sadly did not.
So many reasons to ride … and, I hope, for you to give.
Thanks so much for your support.
Love, Lisa
My Top 10 Highlights from my 2018 Ride
August 6, 2108
Dear friends,
Thank you so much for your contribution to my $4,000 financial commitment to the Pan-Mass Challenge and now have raised my minimum fundraising!
Rain, rain and when you thought it couldn’t rain heavier, it did! The rain continued for the last 43 miles of my ride from Wellesley to Bourne. At least the temperature was around 75 with no humidity, so one could say it was refreshing – need to find the silver lining;)
Each year I like to recap my ride with my Top Ten experiences, helps me to remember the day and provides a way for you to “ride along” with me.
Top Ten for August 4th (in no particular order)
1. I wondered, is a by-product of turning 60 this year, when did all these “flat” roads turn into hills? This year, it seemed there were so many more up hills than down hills!
2. I thought about all the “thank yous” I hear during the ride. “Thank you” from people cheering and thanking the riders for riding, from the riders to the police officers that hold up traffic for us, from the riders to the volunteers who make it all happen: are at the ready with water, food, transporting our luggage, blowing up our tires, and then back from the volunteers to the riders who thank them for riding, and from the riders to fellow riders who say “on your left” as they pass by and are thanked by the rider on the right so you don’t collide with them. Just a lot of gratitude passed around.
3. As I ride, I find it’s a time to reflect on so many of my friends and family that have been treated for cancer. I think my uncomfortable ride in the rain, my sore butt from my bike seat or my legs starting to get tired, can’t ever and won’t compare to the pain and suffering they all have felt along with their families. It’s hard to complain on this ride, (but I quietly doJ) but we ride to fund/find a cure so maybe we just don’t have a PMC ride anymore.
4. My bike helmet is a conversation starter. I tie on as many origami cranes on my helmet with pipe cleaners and receive so many compliments, i.e. “nice hat”, “cool helmet”, “nice hair-do”, “love the cranes”, and even received, “best helmet decoration I have seen so far today”. So many people comment on the cranes and I love to tell the story while we ride if possible. All the cranes, but 2, made it through the drenching rain, probably due to strong origami paper folded in love. I feel like Forest Gump as I try to tell as many who will listen about the cranes: The cranes were folded for Jacqueline Desai 7 years ago while she was in treatment for osteosarcoma. They stand tall on my helmet as they decorate it with love and prayers from all the hands that folded those cranes for Jacqueline. We asked our community for 1,000 cranes to make an origami crane sculpture (cranes represent peace and/or recovery) and we received over 2,000 cranes from family, friends and strangers! We put together a crane sculpture of 1,000 cranes for Jacqueline’s bedside and with help from the Hingham Middle School (HMS) created another larger sculpture for Boston Children’s Hospital’s lobby that was on display for 5 weeks and later hung in the HMS. Each year, I choose from the remainder of the cranes and place many on my helmet. The cranes have “flown” on my helmet since then. Sadly, Jacqueline died at age 18, but I feel she “lifts” me up in spirit as I ride.
5. Now that you know about the cranes and dear Jacqueline… I rode up to a woman with a photograph of a young girl pinned to her back and then this woman remarked on my cranes and asked me if I had folded them. Well, we ended up riding together for about 5+ miles and so I told her the story and then she told me hers. Meghan, whose photo was on her back, died at age 16 of a brain tumor. She told me how she spent so much time with Meghan and her family. Megan was “Tewksbury Tough”, the motto of her high school and lived her short life fully. Then we decided to part ways, I looked at her nametag on her bike – “Jacqueline” was her name. I like to think that was not a coincidenceJ
6. On the first day of the ride, most riders wear the PMC bike jersey that is given to you and on the second day, Team members will wear their own Team cycling jerseys. As you can imagine, these shirts are quite memorable and unique to their prospective teams. For many years, I have noticed this one jersey that has a beautiful woman’s smiling face in B&W with her hair flying around her on the bottom half and then the top half has one large red graphic rose on it. So, I decided to ask the rider wearing this jersey, “who is the beautiful lady?” He was happy to tell me that her name was Debbie; she was 45 years old when she died 10 years ago of a brain tumor. Her children and husband and friends ride for her. What a tribute to her so many years later, that’s how we keep them in our hearts . . . glad I asked him.
7. The signs along the road are funny: “PMC=Pour Me a Cocktail “and “PMC=Prefer My Car”, or heartwarming: “3 Cancer Survivors Thank You”, or encouraging: “You Will Survive the Storm”, and direct: “Make Cancer Your Bitch”.
8. In Lakeville, the third water stop, mile 60, we are greeted by posters of all the PMC Teams’ Pedal Partners, children currently in treatment for cancer at The Jimmy Fund Clinic at DFCI. This year they lined up about ¼ mile before we entered the water stop. Who cares that you are drenched and feel 10lbs heavier, your hands and arms hurt from the death grip on your handles for fear of falling from the wet surface – you will go home and dry off. Everything is now in perspective once you see those smiling faces inspiring you to ride.
9. At the Pedal Partner Tent we meet up with Team Perini’s Pedal Partners, Poppy, 6, and Elena, 9. They have become good pals since they have represented our Team for many years. Elena seems to look after Poppy like a little sister. They are creating gifts at the craft table and Poppy makes Elena a gift that reads, “Elena is my frend”. So sweet. Poppy recently cut her long hair for wigs for cancer patients and according to her mom, Kate, plans to grow it again so she will make another wig. Both so young and so filled with grace.
10. The finish line – food and hot shower in sight (only to get wet again!) and crossing it with a sense of satisfaction, purpose and love.
Until next year, thanks again,
Xo, Lisa
If you haven't donated yet, please read why I rode below!
June 30, 2018
Dear friends,
This weekend I will ride 83 miles with 6,000 cyclists in my 13th Pan-MassChallenge (PMC) from Wellesley to Bourne. Looks like a stormy day, but anything is better than a few years ago when it rained the entire way to Bourne in 60 degree weather!
So far I have logged over 1,425 miles riding in the PMC (not counting the endless hours of training!) and raised over $83,000 for research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston over the last 12 years thanks to the support of my friends.
I've made a personal and financial commitment to ride and fundraise the minimum of $4,000 to ride from Wellesley to Bourne.
Sadly, we all are touched by cancer; my reasons for riding in the PMC are below. If you don’t have time to read and would just like to donate now, please do!
To donate to my PMC ride, please use the following link: http://pmc.org/egifts/LP0071
If you prefer to write a check, please make your check out to “PMC” and mail it to me at 2 C Street, Hull MA 02045 and I will send it to my PMC account.
Why do I ride each year?
Why do I ride each year to raise for funds to beat this insidious disease? I will try to summarize as best as I can....
As I have been a member of Team Perini for the last 12 years, I am dedicating my ride this year to the Perini Family, as the matriarch of the family passed away this year, Eileen Perini. Eilleen and her husband, Dave, took thier grief of losing their son, David, at the age of 26 and focused it on creating the first ever cancer survivors' network in the country at DFCI in 1990. Eileen and Dave raised more than $11.5 million and launched the David P. Perini Jr. Quality of Life Clinic to advance research and clinical care for cancer survivors. The clinic focuses on survivors of pediatric cancers. What a beautiful tribute to her own child that she lost to cancer. What an amazing woman, I am so proud to have known her and ride for her mission.
Also, my passion for PMC fundraising isn’t just about the PMC Ride in August, but also, to the annual PMC South Shore Kids Ride that happens in early June. This year I stepped out of my Coordinator role that I have done since 2010 and volunteered as I made the transition. Over 300 children rode to find a cure for cancer, these PMC young riders have raised over $50,000 so far so far this year (and over $600,000 in the last 12 years) and the are the future PMC riders!
Pediatric cancer, what more needs to be said? I ride for the children stricken with cancer whose childhood is put on hold while they receive treatment for their particular type of cancer.
As I mentioned above, I ride for Team Perini and we ride in honor of these children. In particular we are riding for our alumni PMC Pedal Partners, 9-year old Elena and 6-year old Poppy who have greeted us at the third water stop on the first day of the PMC ride in August at the Pedal Partner Tent.
Please meet Team Perini’s Pedal Partners:
On July 1, 2011, Elena was 2-years old was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She was inpatient at Children’s Hospital for 45 days and then received treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic until August 9, 2013, when she had her last dose of chemo! She will be four years off treatment in August 2017. She looks forward to the South Shore Kids ride and cheering on Team Perini every year.
Poppy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a tumor on her retina) at the age of 4 months. With the timely diagnosis and treatment, Poppy was considered to be in remission before her first birthday. She continues to see her ophthalmologist, Dr. Ankoor Shah, every six months for an exam under anesthesia to ensure that there isn't any tumor regrowth. Throughout all of her treatments and follow-up exams, Poppy has never lost her happy-go-lucky disposition! With each subsequent office exam, Poppy's vision continues to improve.
Last, you can stop now if you have read my letters before, as I must tell my first connection with DFCI is due to my late father-in-law, Dr. Brad Patterson. Brad was the first one to introduce me to DFCI. Brad was a surgeon (one of the first surgeons to perform lumpectomies instead of radical mastectomies) and then as Director of Cancer Control (now called Population Sciences). Brad is credited with, among other things, making DFCI a smoke-free environment … imagine they used to allow smoking at this renowned cancer center!
I went to a luncheon where Brad was honored by the Fellows of the Patterson Fellowship program and one of the Fellows at that luncheon was Dr. Lisa Diller who later became the Medical Director of the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at DFCI. The coincidence is that I have ridden for Team Perini for the last 12 years! The very philanthropic Perini family honored their son, David, who died from cancer at the age of 26, started the first cancer survivorship clinic in the country at that time.
And of course, I ride for all the friends and family who have had cancer and, thankfully, survived … and to those friends and family who sadly did not.
So many reasons to ride … and, I hope, for you to give.
Thanks so much for your support.
Love, Lisa
August 18, 2017
Here is my Annual Top 10 PMC Weekend Observations:
Having completed my 163-mile, 2-day cycling adventure from Wellesley to Provincetown yesterday, it’s now time to write a huge thank you for supporting my fundraising commitment to the Pan-Mass Challenge for The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI).
The ride was long but with superb biking weather (cloudy, mid-70s, about 20 miles of rain on day 1 and Day 2 with a sunny, cool morning, reaching high-70s by noon), bike and legs working efficiently, no flat tires and only a skinned knee from a fall in the parking lot before I began my first 82-mile ride with my BBMs (best bike mates) husband Stu, Gerry Morrissey and Erach Desai, it all added up to a fantastic weekend. And a badge of honor: the prevailing headwinds were the strongest in PMC history as we entered Provincetown for the last 5 miles, just when you thought it was all over, the work really began to ride against the wind! The finish never looked so good!
Again, I want to share some of the highlights of this amazing weekend where over 4,000 volunteers and 6,000 riders converge to make the PMC an unforgettable weekend to honor our family and friends that have experienced cancer’s wrath or to find a cure for this insidious disease. Here are my top 10 observations, not in particular order, they are all are #1!
Backstory of the origami cranes: The cranes were folded for Jacqueline Desai 6 years ago while she was in treatment for osteosarcoma. They stand tall on my helmet (and help my bike mates find me as we rideJ) as they decorate my helmet with love and prayers from the hands that folded those cranes by so many for Jacqueline. We put a shout out for 1,000 cranes to make her an origami (cranes represent peace and/or recovery) crane sculpture and we received over 2,000 cranes from family, friends and strangers! We put together a crane sculpture of 1,000 cranes for Jacqueline’s bedroom and with help of the Hingham Middle School created another larger sculpture for Boston Children’s Hospital lobby, which was on display for 5 weeks. So many people comment on the cranes and I love to tell the story when time allows. Jacqueline sadly died, but I feel she “lifts” us up in spirit as we ride. This year I rode the first day with Erach, Jacqueline’s dad, he beamed when I told her story to cyclists that asked about the cranes.
2.) Here are a few examples of the signs along the route this year:
“I’m 19, Because of You”, a sign held by a young woman in a Northeastern shirt, sends chills up my spine as I think of my own children. I remember her last year with a sign that read “I’m 18 and Going to College Because of You”.
“Evan is Here Because of You” with an arrow pointing to a vey young boy, who must be Evan.
“Cancer sucks. Let’s end it.”
“MAKE CANCER YOUR BITCH” – a large industrial sign placed on by the road.
The PMC acronym was in play this year with: “Plump Men Cycling”, “Pour My Cocktail”, “Prefer My Car”, “Pour My Drink” and my favorite, “Pipes Motivate Cyclists” as a woman played her bagpipes at the top of a hill!
“PMC Riders are Badass” – ‘you bet I am’, I thought, as I cycled up Wellfleet’s Heartbreak Hill past younger riders!
“Go MOM Go”, this sign was placed a few times on the road. I imagine that my kids are encouraging me!
3.) Along the ride you hear: riders greeting one another (name tags and where they are from on the back of their bikes), music played by spectators, 5 men banjo and guitar jam session, drumming, plastic horns blaring, a Raggedy Anne costumed accordion player with a 6-foot lobster at her side, friendly horn beeping by passing cars, bikers playing music, police officers wishing you good luck as they stop traffic for you, spectators thanking you for riding. Campers from Cape Cod Sea Camp behind “da hedge” screaming at you!
4.) Along the ride spectators pass out: lollipops, Swedish Fish (held out by fishing poles), water bottles, popsicles, and this year Bud Light! Drinking and cycling – not so helpful!
5.) The best water stop is at Lakeville on Day 1, as you enter you view over 65 Pedal Partner posters of children on the side of the road who are receiving treatment for cancer at Dana-Farber. These children are Pedal Partners connected with the PMC teams. When you walk into this tent, you see so many children and families and it puts it all into perspective why you ride and you can’t complain about the rain, sore hot feet, legs, or butts. Team Perini celebrated our alumni Pedal Partners, 5-year old Poppy and 8-year old Elena along with their families who greeted us. All are cancer-free now! Was fun to watch Elena, as she calls Nick one of our teammates, “the high-five man” that has high-fived her since she was 2! Nick teases her as he pulls his hand away playfully which delights her in laughter.
6.) At Mass Maritime Academy in Bourne at the end of Day 1, food never tasting so good, a 15-minute massage, a live band, thousands of riders and volunteers under a huge tent, hanging out with good friends on the lawn, meeting up with Team Perini for a team photo and finally in bed by 8:00pm. And then the wake-up call at 4am on Sunday to get up and do it all again!
7.) The first “hill” you encounter on Day 2 is the Bourne Bridge – we caught the sunrise over the horizon just as we cycled to the top of the bridge, best hill ever!
8.) Volunteers – love them! They thank us for riding and we thank them for volunteering. The same volunteers make the water stops so festive for the cyclists as they roll through them.
9.) Plain and simple: the ice bench in Wellfleet. Feels so good...
10.) At the end of the PMC weekend, grateful for the comfortable cushy seats on fast ferry to Boston, grateful to friends (PMC biking mates, Mary, Tom and Melissa) who picked Stu and me up, greeted us with a huge “congratulations” sign at the dock and made dinner for us that night.
I am so fortunate to experience the PMC and I can’t wait for next year…
And with friends like you, with your contribution, I have completed my minimum fundraising and also reached my goal of over $7800 raised to continue to be a Heavy Hitter! I know that you are asked to support many organizations and I really appreciate that you chose to donate to the PMC.
July 14, 2017
Dear friends,
For the last 12 years, I've committed to raising money for cancer research by riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) and will ride 162 miles from Wellesley to Provincetown on the first weekend in August joining over 6,000 cyclists. The PMC raises money for research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston. So far I have logged over 1,262 miles riding in the PMC (not counting the endless hours of training!) and raised $75,285 over 11 years thanks to the support my friends.
I've made a personal and financial commitment to ride and fundraise the minimum $4,800 to ride from Wellesley to Provincetown. I hope you will help me achieve this significant goal. My ultimate goal is to be a “Heavy Hitter” fundraiser and raise a minimum of $7,800. I have been a Heavy Hitter for 9 out of the 11 years that I have cycled in the PMC!
Sadly, we all are touched by cancer; my reasons for riding in the PMC are below. If you don’t have time to read and would just like to donate now, please do!
To donate to my PMC ride, please use the following link: http://pmc.org/egifts/LP0071
If you prefer to write a check, please make your check out to “PMC” and mail it to me at 66 Burditt Avenue, ?Hingham, MA 02043 and I will send it to my PMC account.
Why do I ride each year?
Why do I ride each year to raise for funds to beat this insidious disease? I will try to summarize as best as I can.
This year my husband, Stu and I will ride for our friend, Steve, who was newly diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) and recently spent 26 days in the hospital receiving chemotherapy. So frightening, for a few days you are not feeling well and then the next day you are in the hospital for a month. Life turns on a dime… I can’t even imagine what Steve is going through but I can ride for him. John Lennon said it well; “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.
Steve will be on my mind as I ride many miles on August 5th and 6th from Wellesley to Provincetown.
My passion for PMC fundraising isn’t just about the PMC Ride in August, but also, to the annual PMC South Shore Kids Ride that happens in early June, as I have been one of the Event Coordinators since 2010. I am able to really be in the mix of our core committee; over 160 volunteers, sponsors, donors and opening ceremony speakers; the PMC Pedal Partners (children currently in treatment for cancer) and their families; and, of course, a few of the 325 riders, each of whom have their own personal reasons for riding, volunteering and sponsoring the Kids Ride. It swells my heart and I am so fortunate to be a part of so much compassion and love dedicated to helping find a cure for cancer and helping those who have cancer. By the way, these PMC young riders have raised over $52,000 so far so far this year!
Pediatric cancer, what more needs to be said? I ride for the children stricken with cancer whose childhood is put on hold while they receive treatment for their particular type of cancer.
I ride for PMC’s Team Perini and we ride in honor of these children. In particular we are riding for our alumni Pedal Partners, 8-year old Elena and 5-year old Poppy who have greeted us at the third water stop on the first day of the PMC ride in August at the Pedal Partner Tent. This year Poppy and Elena both had teams in the PMC South Shore Kids Ride. Elena and her Team received recognition from State Senator Patrick O’Connor for all her fundraising efforts raising over $29,000 for the PMC South Shore Kids Ride!!
Please meet Team Perini’s Pedal Partners:
On July 1, 2011, Elena was 2-years old was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She was inpatient at Children’s Hospital for 45 days and then received treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic until August 9, 2013, when she had her last dose of chemo! She will be four years off treatment in August 2017. She looks forward to the South Shore Kids ride and cheering on Team Perini every year.
Poppy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a tumor on her retina) at the age of 4 months. With the timely diagnosis and treatment, Poppy was considered to be in remission before her first birthday. She continues to see her ophthalmologist, Dr. Ankoor Shah, every six months for an exam under anesthesia to ensure that there isn't any tumor regrowth. Throughout all of her treatments and follow-up exams, Poppy has never lost her happy-go-lucky disposition! With each subsequent office exam, Poppy's vision continues to improve.
Last, you can stop now if you have read my letters before J as I must tell my first connection with DFCI is due to my late father-in-law, Dr. Brad Patterson. Brad was the first one to introduce me to DFCI, as he was on the staff there, first as a surgeon (one of the first surgeons to perform lumpectomies instead of radical mastectomies) and then as Director of Cancer Control (now called Population Sciences). Brad is credited with, among other things, making DFCI a smoke-free environment … imagine they used to allow smoking at this renowned cancer center!
Before he retired, I went to a luncheon where he was honored by the Fellows of the Patterson Fellowship program and was astounded by the recognition and honors he was given! In fact, one of the Fellows at that luncheon was Dr. Lisa Diller who is now the Medical Director of the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at DFCI. The coincidence is that I have ridden for Team Perini for the last 11 years! The very philanthropic Perini family honored their son, David, who died from cancer at the age of 26, started the first cancer survivorship clinic in the country at that time.
And of course, I ride for all the friends and family who have had cancer and, thankfully, survived … and to those friends and family who sadly did not.
So many reasons to ride … and, I hope, for you to give.
Thanks so much for your support.
Love, Lisa
August 3, 2105
Each year I write my top 10 observations that I experienced while riding in the PMC that I like to share on this very inspirational and magical day. Sorry for the length of this letter, but a lot happens while riding 111 miles!
1. This was my first time starting from Sturbridge along with more than 3,000 PMC riders. PMC takes over a hotel, grounds, parking lot and conference center. The air is electric with like-minded volunteers and riders all excited about the night and next day activities. The televised Opening Ceremonies are extraordinary as cancer survivors and riders all convey their messages to inspire us to ride such a long distance and ask you for your donation to beat cancer. Sadly, the reality of our times since the Boston Marathon sets in when you see so many police and bomb-sniffing dogs in the very large crowd.
2. Say “Sturbridge” and all you hear from riders are “oh, the hills are tough…” well that is true as I found out. As I reached the top of one hill, I told a spectator on the side of the road, “I will switch with you”, as I looked at his motorcycle, he smiled and said, “That is one bad-ass hill”. I said, “My sentiments exactly”!
3. On this same hill ? a man with a prosthetic leg pedals up the hill besides you.
4. Along your ride, you meet volunteers as well as riders. At mile 42, a volunteer, Diane, greeted me when I got off my bike with gallon jug of water. She thanked me for riding and likewise I thanked her for volunteering. She said it was her first year as a volunteer and her second year as a cancer survivor.
5. Along the route, the spectators are cheering you on with signs, blowing horns and thanking us for riding. I’ve said this before, you feel like a rock star when you see the sign that says “YOU ROCK”! There are streets that I feel are in competition for more noise and decorations! One is Cherry Street in Wrentham, named the “Mile of Hope”. They had bagpipers and drummers with a balloon arch across the street. The other street is in Plainville and they had a Calypso band and a bubble machine!
6. Two signs propped up that read: “Cancer at 3”, next one reads, “Now I’m 14”. J
7. We attach nametags to the bike bags under our seats, so you can say hello by name to your fellow cyclists. One cyclist I recognized from Duxbury who was at a Heavy Hitter dinner a few years ago with his twentyish-year old daughter, both had cancer at the same time. The dinner was the night before her marriage and they both spoke with their doctors about their treatment together. He had pinned to the back of his shirt “Father Survivor”, and riding next to him was a man who had “Daughter Survivor” on his shirt. So, I asked him are you riding for the father and daughter that were at the Heavy Hitter dinner a few years ago? He said he was and that he was riding for his wife, the “Daughter Survivor” and she was not riding since she was pregnant now with their third child! He said she rides every other year and has been pregnant the other years! Great outcome for all 3 riders!
Some more poignant… One man I saw with a beautiful black and white photograph of what appeared to be a photo of a young wife and her very young daughter, which read, “I ride for my wife Lisa”. Behind him was his daughter, in her late teens, she too had a photo of a young mother with her very young daughter and it read, “I ride for my mother”. It appeared that there were no recent photos. I told her that their photos were beautiful, she beamed back a smile and said ‘thank you’.
I noticed two men with the same beautiful photograph of a very young woman pinned on their backs. Without saying a word, the older of the two rode past not saying a word to the younger man, up the hill with a burst of energy, the younger man saw him and followed with the same vigor. It appeared to me they needed no words, just inspiration from the woman in the photo.
8. At the Lakeville water stop is the PMC Pedal Partner Tent where the Pedal Partners can greet their Team members. Pedal Partners are children in treatment for cancer or who are cancer survivors. As we pedaled to the water stop, at least 40 Pedal Partner Posters were placed ¼ mile along the side of the road. The very first poster was that of Poppy, my Team Perini’s Pedal Partner. Poppy is 3-years old and is a cancer survivor! The very last poster was of Sophia, another Team Perini Pedal Partner. Sophia is 8-years old and is currently in treatment and doing great! One Pedal Partner, Beatrix, was standing next to her poster while her dad was taking her photo. Don’t need more inspiration than that to ride.
9. We pass through 40 towns and the police help us cross the streets at intersections. We always thank them and they wish us well. One officer as we crossed, took his hand and placed it over his heart. I was really moved by this, perhaps he was thinking of someone he loved with cancer.
10. When we reached Mass Maritime in Bourne, it is a happening place! There is a huge tent with over 6,000 riders and volunteers, a band, delicious food, beverages of all kinds, teams meeting for team photos, a huge bike parking lot with thousands of bikes, and 15-minute massages! I got a massage as soon as I showered and didn’t have to wait in line since I was a Heavy Hitter from last year’s donations, thank you if you supported me last year! We had a well-deserved dinner, great conversations with Team Perini members and made new friends. Especially with a father who told us about Team Abby who formed his team for his then 4-year daughter who had cancer, who is now 13, such a proud papa!
A great ending to an amazing day! Thank you for “riding” along with me.
June, 2014
To my friends and family,
Well, I wrote a year ago, telling you our Fireworks Party was off as we went on a family vacation and that my Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) fundraising didn’t end with the cancelled party! The good news is the Fireworks Party is back; this year on June 28th and yes, it is early … and the fundraising picks up again for my 9th PMC ride. This year, though, besides riding the first day with my friends, I am going to ride the second day with my son, Brad, who will ride in his first PMC ride!! So exciting that the PMC passion is running, or should I say, “riding” in my family.
My target this year is to raise $7,000 by October 1st for the PMC to help them meet their incredible goal of raising $39 million for The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)! 100% of all PMC fundraising goes directly to The Jimmy Fund at DFCI to support their pediatric and adult cancer patients and cancer research.
Each year, I have special, new reasons to ride and raise funds for the DFCI and each year I summarize them in this letter; please read on.
One reason I ride is that I am always inspired after the PMC South Shore Kids Ride, which was last Sunday. As one of the coordinators of the event, I am able to meet with our core committee of dedicated Crew Leaders and Coordinators; some of our 189 volunteers, sponsors, underwriters, donors and opening ceremony speakers; the PMC Pedal Partners (children currently in treatment for cancer) and their families; and, of course, a few of the 383 riders, each of whom have their own personal reasons for riding, volunteering, fundraising, and sponsoring the PMC Kids Ride. It swells my heart and I am so fortunate to be a part of so much compassion and love dedicated to helping find a cure for cancer and helping those who have cancer. By the way, these PMC young riders have raised over $55,000 so far so far this year!
My second reason this year is Joe and Gina Vita; to whom I am dedicating my ride this year. Joe is in treatment for lung cancer and Gina is a breast cancer survivor of 12 years. Cancer is so unfair to strike a family twice and to strike two people who live such healthy lives. That is why cancer is so insidious, random, and frightening to all of us. At the fitness center where Gina is an instructor, she continues on her endless mission to keep us fit while I’m sure she’s just thinking about Joe. Joe, a doctor himself, is now experiencing first-hand being the patient in the middle of a health crisis. However, the good news is that funds raised for DFCI have helped with new research for Joe’s type of cancer. His doctor’s research has found the genetic mutation for his cancer and so Joe’s treatment now is with an experimental drug focused on the gene responsible for that cancer. These two friends are two of the many that I will think about as I ride over 120 miles on August 2nd and 3rd.
My thi
Dear friends,
(My 2024 PMC highlights, are just below this letter, enjoy the ride!)
On February 1, I cycled in the PMC Winter Cycle at the Fenway Park Pavillion with 150 other like-minded PMC fundraisers. It was the first time our Team PopSciCycles was entered into this 1-day spinning marathon. I rode with 3 new PMC Team members and we all agreed that this would become our new annual event. As always, I was so inspired with the 30-year old cancer survivor, the mom of a Pedal Partner (child with cancer) and especially our brave spin instructor whose father died 2 weeks ago from cancer, who spoke that day - always reminds me of how lucky I am that I "get", not have to, but get to do this as I am fortunate to be in good health and motivated to do so to raise money for cancer research and patient care.
And now I can say that I rode ahead of Billy Star, the founder of the PMC, the entire ride as his spin bike was behind mine!
This year I will ride my 21st PMC ride on the 85-mile loop from Wellesley to Bourne as a member of Team PopSciCycles with Stu (11th year), Brad (5th year), Erica (1st year and Brad's girlfriend) and Benja (1st year and Julia's boyfriend). Julia (5 years) is recovering from knee surgery and will volunteer with KK in Bourne and meet us there. A PMC family affair!
So, please consider contributing to my fundraising efforts as you may have done so generously in the past. To date, I have raised over $128,000 since 2005. If you would like to donate to my PMC ride, please use the following link: http://pmc.org/egifts/LP0071 If you prefer to write a check, please make your check out to “PMC” and mail it to me at 2 C Street, Hull MA 02045. Thank you!
Why do I ride each year?
This year, I ride especially for our nephew, Nick, who was diagnosed 2 years ago with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He is currently in treatment and his prognosis looks great with new treatments, including immunotherapy. We were grateful that our connection to the Division of Population Sciences helped us to get recommendations for doctors in L.A. where he lives. When cancer hits so close to home and hits loved ones, I really appreciate how our fundraising makes a difference in research on new treatments. It also gives me a sense of control and of feeling helpful even though I’m not able to help in a more direct way.
I ride for my friend, Patti, who died from pancreatic cancer in May of 2022. On Patti's prayer card it read: “How do you live your dash?” By “the dash”, she meant one's life between your birth and death dates . . . so I ask myself, 'How do I want to live my dash?' Thanks, Patti, for the reminder!
I ride for Jaqueline, daughter of dear friends, Maribeth and Erach, and once our PMC Pedal Partner, who died tragically in 2011, at the age of 18, from osteosarcoma. When Jacqueline was in treatment, we asked for 1,000 cranes and received over 2,000 cranes with which we made her a bedside sculpture. The extra 1,000 cranes went to another larger sculpture that was hung in the Childrens' Hospital lobby. Members of our Team wear the remaining cranes and attach them to our helmets on all our PMC rides in her honor. We have been riding with Erach since then and he is a member on our Team.
PMC Team PopSciCycle's Pedal Partner ... Ellie!
Every year, we also ride for our PMC Pedal Partner, 11-year old Ellie, who is a patient at The Jimmy Fund Clinic. Ellie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia B-Cell and is currently in remission.
Her mother described her incredible journey this way: Ellie was diagnosed with leukemia in March 2019, just a few weeks after her fifth birthday. She spent a month at Boston Children’s Hospital receiving chemo treatments that had some pretty uncomfortable side-effects and left her pretty weak. After the initial hospitalization, she suffered one of the most severe chemo side effects and was placed in the ICU for pancreatitis, resulting in a pancreatic cyst that had to be surgically removed in fall of 2020. Through it all, Ellie demonstrated her fierce spirit and determination, which is still going strong in fourth grade. She is officially in remission and taking on new challenges - from learning Spanish and violin at school to every kind of sport - soccer, swimming, basketball - to six weeks of overnight camp this summer - she is a force to be reckoned with.
Our Team is so inspired by Ellie, her parents, Doug and Leah, and her little sister, Annie, and we ride for all of them on PMC weekend. Leah and Doug shared Ellie’s experience at a Jimmy Fund Red Sox Telethon. Please take a look: Telethon
Team PopSciCycles - Year #4
This year is the fourth year we rode for our new Team PopSciCycles to raise money for the McGraw/Patterson Division for Population Sciences at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). As the name suggests, my father-in-law, Dr. W. Bradford Patterson, was instrumental in the founding and growth of the Division of Population Sciences. So, we created our new Team in honor of “Brad”, as he was known! http://profile.pmc.org/TP0238 Please go to our Team Profile page to read more about the McGraw/Patterson Division of Population Sciences.
Background on the McGraw/Patterson Division for Population Sciences – Past & Present
When Brad joined the DFCI in late 1970, he became the first head of a new Division of Cancer Control. Among the many important initiatives he championed, Brad persuaded DFCI to institute a no-smoking policy throughout the institute at a time when such a move was radical. It was the first hospital in Boston to do it, and the other hospitals in Boston followed suit.
In late 1980, a grateful patient established a Fellowship in Brad’s name to underwrite research in ways to prevent cancer and to use the Patterson Fellows’ research to educate more and more “populations” about their findings. Soon thereafter, another grateful patient, Anne McGraw, began making generous donations to the Fellowship such that it grew to the point that the DFCI decided to form and fund a new Division for Population Sciences with the McGraw and Patterson names at the front!
Now, in the words of the current Director, Dr. Eliezer van Allen, the Division’s research has grown to comprise an incredible range of projects aimed at: designing effective cancer care and control delivery systems, promoting best practices in health communication, managing genetic cancer risk and susceptibility, reducing health disparities, promoting healthy behaviors, and optimizing care quality … all to reduce the burden of cancer.
So many reasons to ride … and, I hope, for you to give.
And, finally, I ride of course for all our other friends and family who have had cancer and, thankfully, survived … and for those friends and family who sadly did not.
Thanks so much for your support.
And let's all think of Patti ... Live your dash!
Love, Lisa
Here are my 2024 PMC Highlights:
162 miles… completed without flats or falls! What a memorable PMC filled with gratitude as our immediate family either rode or volunteered on PMC weekend.
What a hot day of cycling on Saturday, second hottest PMC on record (yes, I did the hottest years back). And on Sunday, it was cooler, windier and cloudier - so a much better day to cycle!
As usual, I’ll try to bring you “along for the ride”in my highlights of my ride below. What makes PMC so wonderful is it’s a mix of traditions that happen every year and of unexpected surprises of that day. Here are my highlights:
2024 PMC Highlights:
Day 1: Wellesley to Bourne 84 miles, 3 water stops & lunch
1. The start filled us with tremendous gratitude and pride as Team PopSciCycles (see our profile https://profile.pmc.org/TP0238), only established 3 years ago by Stu and me, all 17 of us gathered in Wellesley and lined up in our team jerseys as we waited for the start. So grateful for our new team jerseys - the colors of the jersey (orange and blue) stood out in the sea of hundreds of other riders around you in their red 2024 PMC jerseys - so we were easy to find at waterstops and on the road. There were a total of 6,880 riders over both days on various routes.
Traditionally, after the National Anthem is sung, “Beautiful Day” by U2 was blasted over the speakers and off we edge to the start. That song turns on my PMC gene and off I go!
2. I’m always so moved but the signs created by spectators on the side of the road to cheer us on - “I’m 11 Because of You” held by a young child, “A Grateful Dana-Farber Patient Lives Here” poster left by the side of the road, “My Daughter is 26 Because of You”, “Because of your Feats, my Heart Beats” posted with classical music blaring behind a woman in a wheelchair, “My Son is Alive Because of You”…
3. At mile 67 in Lakeville, the Pedal Partner Tent, is where we meet up with Ellie, our Pedal Partner for the last 3 years, and her family. But before you get there, on the right side of the road, about 75 posters of the PMC Pedal Partners guide you up the hill to the water stop. You see all children in all stages of their cancer treatment. Arriving at the Pedal Partner tent you witness the gravity of cancer and the hope of remission. Ellie, now 10 and in remission, along with her sister, Annie , and their mom, Leah were so happy to greet our Team, taking photos, handing out bracelets Ellie and Annie made for the Team and iced towels for our necks. If you have a complaint about the heat… you just take a look around and stop complaining.
4. Mile 84: DAY ONE DONE! Julia, Stu and myself crossed the finish together, Brad was ahead of us and KK, who had volunteered in Bourne organizing the rider’s luggage was waiting at the finish for us! We got our Christmas photo!
5. Over to the humongous PMC Party Tent on the campus of Mass Maritime. Julia, Brad, Stu and I stayed in a dorm in bunk beds with a canal view! Showered and off for our PMC Team Photo scheduled at 4:50pm, a 15-Minute massage for 2-day riders at 5:30pm offered by 150 massage therapists, and a much needed dinner! Then off to sleep by 8:30pm for a 4:00am alarm! It’s amazing how quiet the entire campus is after 8:00pm and comes alive again at 4:00am.
Day 2: Bourne to Provincetown - 78 miles, 3 water stops & lunch
6. On the bike again by 5:15am, the first hill is the Bourne Bridge. PMC is the only time an entire lane of this bridge is closed to cars and restricted to cyclists only. It’s quite a view as you cross the canal as the sun rises.
7. Ways to cool off:
8. So many people on the side of the road thanking you for riding. As a good friend said, “you feel like a rock star” when you ride as so many are thanking you for riding or cheering you on. There was a lobster and crab playing accordions, “Fred Flinstone” appeared a few times on the course, drag queens dressed for cocktails, a bag piper playing his pipes, some drumming, some dancing and some playing loud music. But most are out there just to say thank you for riding. I wonder why they thank you so sincerely. Do they have cancer, know someone who has cancer, or lost someone to cancer?
9. The last 10 miles from the Wellfleet water stop are the most exciting and the worst! First, we missed the right hand turn (yes, it was marked) just after the Wellfleet water stop and luckily, Zoe, one of our co-captains, saw us miss the turn and called me. We had gone about half a mile in the wrong direction, so we turned around and made our way to Provincetown. Silver lining is that we finally met up with Zoe and her dad, David, in Wellfleet - and she saved us many miles had we not started out with them!
The first time you see Provincetown in the distance, it sends a chill down your spine for many reasons: breathtaking dunes, the wind - always windy on Route 6 that slows you down, the last remaining hills that loom in front of you, the noise of the cars whizzing by and the howl of the wind. And it’s the last ten miles - it’s exciting that you are almost done and grueling as your body is telling you in many ways it’s time to get off your bike!
We arrived at the Monument Finish by 12:30pm and was met by Brad who met me there with my luggage as it had gone to the other finish where he and Julia finished. I was happy to see him and my luggage so I could take a shower in the provided shower trucks. Then it is a short walk to town to board the ferry. The other finish at Provincetown Inn is 1-mile from town and that walk to the ferry is not what you want to do after riding 77 miles!
10. Julia and Brad went back to Boston on the slow ferry aka the PMC Party Boat! Hundreds of riders on the deck with a live band. Julia managed to rally once the rain fell on the revelers as Brad looked for a quiet place to rest! They saw whales breaching on their trip home!
Stu and I were on the fast ferry to Boston, aka PMC Quiet Boat, with all the pleasures of padded seats, outlets to charge my phone, and relative peace and quiet.
The only rain we experienced was when we were on the ferry and it ended just before we arrived in Boston! We arrived at 5:30pm, grabbed their luggage and bikes as they were trucked from Provincetown and met them at 6:30. Home by 7:30!
All very tired, but extremely grateful for a safe ride and all agreed to ride the 2-day next year!
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As I noted in my donation request,“I get” to ride. Sounds simple, it is. Walking by all the “Living Proof”, maybe over 200 riders and volunteers (two of them members of our team) and volunteers who are cancer survivors, having their photos taken, their largest group ever, they are a reminder and give great perspective to my life.
Thank you for reading my long thank you! I am so grateful for your support as I fundraise for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for cancer research and patient care.
Thanks again, enjoy the rest of your summer.
Love, Lisa
Highlights from August 2023 Ride
What a glorious day of cycling on Saturday, weather-wise it was an A+. It has to be up there as one of the best days ever for PMC weekend!
As usual, I’ll try to bring you “along for the ride”in my highlights of the ride below. What makes PMC so wonderful is it’s a mix of traditions that happen every year and of unexpected surprises of that day. This year, what would have been 84 miles to Bourne ended up being 64 miles due to a Shakepearean Comedy of Errors. Here’s the story in highlights:
2023 PMC Highlights - Day 1: Wellesley to Bourne
1. The start filled us with tremendous gratitude and pride as Team PopSciCycles (see our profile https://profile.pmc.org/TP0238), only established last year, gathered in Wellesley and lined up together in our team jerseys as we waited for the start. Our newest member, Ramya, who was only biking on Sunday, rode her bike over to cheer us on … what Team spirit! After the National Anthem was sung, a “Beautiful Day” by U2 was blasted over the speakers and off we went.
2. Here is our “comedy of errors”…
We could have been mistaken for an F1 racing team with all the tire changes done by mechanics!
3. After I got a new tube back at the first water stop, we were now at least 45 min/hour behind our team and everyone else riding ahead! Calculating it all and not wanting to be behind our team and missing our Pedal Partner at mile 57 - I saw the van used to take “injured or tired” riders and I asked for us to get a ride to lunch. So we hopped in with Michael, a 12-year cancer survivor, who has volunteered every year since and is so grateful to be able to drive on PMC weekend. 19 miles later… We pulled a “Rosie Ruiz” (hopefully, you are old enough to remember her!) move and had the van pull over and we got out and joined the riders for the last mile before the lunch stop! Our Team wondered “how did you beat us?”… of course, we fessed up!
4. As you ride, your mind wanders, you look for signs from “your above”, inspiration from wherever it may come. On a nasty hill, a side road sign reads “Chickster Way”. I thought I’m one tough ‘Chickster” as I passed some cyclists walking up the hill! A company sign in Rochester, “Taken for Granite”, …made me think you shouldn’t take anything for granted! Then came “A Notch Above” tree company… Yes, I’m feeling “a notch above” now as I’m on the last leg of my PMC ride! Wandering minds…
5. The signs created by spectators on the side of the road to cheer us on - “I’m Alive Because of You” held by a young child and “A Survivor Lives Here” poster left by the side of the road, and another, “Smile - You Will Ride Faster”. I smiled but my mph did not improve:)
6. Along mile 67, so many PMC Pedal Partner posters line the road. You see all children in all stages of their cancer treatment. I saw Ellie’s poster, our Pedal Partner, and saw her big smile! Arriving at the Pedal Partner tent you witness the gravity of cancer and the hope of remission. I saw one mom who had shaved her head to resemble her bald child asleep in her lap–love and hope abounds. Ellie, now 11 and in remission, was so happy to greet our Team, taking photos and then showing us her gymnastics ability in the grass; such a different child from 4 years ago when first diagnosed.
7. Grateful for our new team jerseys - the colors of the jersey (teal, orange and blue) stood out in the sea of hundreds of other riders in their “quieter” 2023 PMC jerseys - so we were easy to find at waterstops and on the road. There were a total of 5,880 riders over both days.
8. I love the opportunity to talk with other riders along the way - as their name, city, years riding PMC, Team name - are on tags pinned to their bikes. Also, depending on what may be on someone's jersey - photo of loved ones, ribbons of names, or the origami cranes on our helmets (see story on my profile https://profile.pmc.org/LP0071) - one thing we all have in common is we ride for someone and to find a cure. All wonderful conversation starters!
9. Mile 84 (or 64?) - DONE! PMC Team Photo scheduled at 3:45 in Bourne - pulled in just in time at 3:30 after a long day of flats and tire changes, water stops, and a Pedal Partner stop. We made it to the flagpole to have our photos taken, volunteers and riders alike on our Team. After, Stu and I talked to our Team of friends to tell them how grateful we were that we all made it without any injuries and all their support.
10. I “get” to ride. Sounds simple, it is. Walking by all the “Living Proof”, maybe over 200 riders (one of them a member of our team) and volunteers who are cancer survivors, having their photos taken, their largest group ever, they are a reminder and give great perspective.
Thank you for reading my long thank you! I so appreciate that you choose to continue to support me as I support The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Who knows, maybe 2-day ride next year? Oh no, my thank you, could be twice as long!
Thanks again, enjoy the rest of your summer.
Love, Lisa
Kids Ride, mom of Elle, PMC Kids Ride volunteer extraordinaire and PMC rider herself for over 20 years! Such synchronicity in the car and great conversation started so early in the morning! PMC riders are like-minded, I guess.
6. This observation is not for the faint of heart and I feel like I should mention this as the PMC is still a ride with thousands of cyclists and cars on the road. One of my friends, a veteran rider, riding with her daughter, a first-time rider, witnessed what no parent should ever experience: her daughter flipped over her handle bars and over a guard rail, and caught her shoulder on the guard rail which opened up a nasty large gash which resulted in many stitches. We all thought of how worse this could have been if she had hit lower on the guard rail… but still a horrible accident no matter what and allcaused by a PMC cyclist who decided it was more important to get by faster and cut her off which resulted in the accident.
The other incident, which I witnessed was a near miss collision with a car that my friend if he hadn’t swerved when he did… hate to think what would have happened. This person in the car must have thought “I won’t let you take a left in front of my car and will even speed up to close the gap”, even though there was time for my friend to make the left as he signaled that he was taking the left. So frightening. Patience and respect for others were not in practice here by these two individuals. These are the exceptions to a great day but are harsh reminders that we are very vulnerable to accidents.
7. The signs along the road may be funny: “PMC=Pour Me a Cocktail “, “PMC=Prefer My Car”,PMC=Plump Men Cycling”, and heartwarming: “3 Cancer Survivors Thank You”, and more direct: “U Ride We Live “
8. In Lakeville, as we ride for about a mile to the third water stop, mile 60, we are greeted by posters of all the PMC Teams’ Pedal Partners, children currently in treatment for cancer at The Jimmy Fund Clinic at DFCI. Everything is now in perspective once you see those smiling faces inspiring you to ride. At the Pedal Partner Tent, we meet up with Team Perini’s Pedal Partners, Poppy, 7, and Elena, 10. Unfortunately, Quinnie, our newest Pedal Partner is in isolation at home in Weymouth after his treatment. Poppy and Elena have greeted us since they were 2 years old!
9. This is a thank you to all the spectators that ply the riders with food and drink along the route. Some even have a spray of water to cool you off. We are offered popsicles, Twizzlers, water, oranges, Gatorade, and one with a sign greeting you as “The Hop Spot” and young adults with their “Beer Crew” t-shirts on handing out Bud Lights! Needless to say, I skipped on that hand out!
10. The finish line, Mile 83 in Bourne at Mass Maritime – food (new this year: shrimp tacos!) and a shower in sight! Stu and I cross it with a sense of satisfaction, purpose and love. But before we shower or eat, we convince a young volunteer with a golf cart to bring us to meet up with Team Perini for an organized team photo that will happen in 5 minutes and that is a 10-minute walk with luggage – pure heaven not running over to make our time as I’m quite sure I couldn’t run the distance!
July 27, 2019
Dear friends,
In 2 days, I will ride 83 miles with Stu and 6,000 oher cyclists in my 14th Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) from Wellesley to Bourne. The weather looks great, 80s and sunny, no rain, as it rained for half my ride last year!
As I sit here on our last day of vacation, I feel incredibly blessed as I am here with family and in general good health, as I have just heard that a young friend from Hingham has succombed to cancer, only diagnosed a few months ago and just read about our latest PMC Pedal Partner, Quinn, who has a brain tumor. All makes me so more determined for my PMC ride.
So far, I have logged over 1,508 miles riding in the PMC (not counting the endless hours of training!) and raised over $89,005 for research and care for cancer patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston over the last 13 years thanks to the support of my friends. I've made a personal and financial commitment to ride and fundraise the minimum of $4,000 to ride from Wellesley to Bourne and I'm almost there!
Sadly, we all are touched by cancer; some of my reasons for riding in the PMC are below. If you don’t have time to read and would just like to donate now, please do! You can see why I'm so passionate about this fundraiser.
To donate to my PMC ride, please use the following link: http://pmc.org/egifts/LP0071 If you prefer to write a check, please make your check out to “PMC” and mail it to me at 2 C Street, Hull MA 02045 and I will send it to my PMC account.
Why do I ride each year to raise for funds to beat this insidious disease? I will try to summarize as best as I can....
My Top 10 Highlights of My 2018 Ride! To really understand why I continue to ride each year, please jump down below to read my top ten highlights of my ride. Every year I post my observations, and each year I'm always reminded why I make no other plans on the first weekend in August but to ride in the PMC.
Support for Team Perini's mission. I ride for Team Perini and have been a member for the last 14 years. Team Perini was established in the memory of David Perini Jr. Parents of David, Eileen and Dave Perini took their grief of losing their son, David, at the age of 26 and focused it on creating the first ever cancer survivors' network in the country at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 1990. Eileen and Dave raised more than $11.5 million and launched the David P. Perini Jr. Quality of Life Clinic to advance research and clinical care for cancer survivors. The clinic focuses on survivors of pediatric cancers. What a beautiful tribute to their own child that they lost to cancer. I am so proud to have be a part of the Team and ride for their mission.
Origami cranes adorn my helmet. As you can see in my photo that my helmet has origami cranes attached to it. Each year I adorn my cranes folded in love for Jacqueline who sadly died at the age of 18 from osteosarcoma. When Jacqueline was in treatment, we asked for 1,000 cranes and received over 2,000 to make her a bedside sculpture, the extra 1,000 cranes went to another sculpture that hung at Childrens' Hospital, and finally, some of the remaining cranes go on my helmet the day of the ride since she passed.
Pediatric cancer, what more needs to be said? I ride for the children stricken with cancer, whose childhood is put on hold while they receive treatment for their particular type of cancer. OR like Jacqueline, never get to get past their childhood. I volunteered for a year on the 6th floor at Children's Hospital where children with cancer were treated. I will never forget the children, parents, and staff on that floor doing what they must do to heal or make comfortable for those being treated. Less than 4% of government funding goes towards childhood cancer, yet cancer is the leading cause of disease related death in children.
As I mentioned above, I ride for Team Perini and we ride in honor of our alumni PMC Pedal Partners, 10-year old Elena and 7-year old Poppy who greet us at the third water stop on the first day of the PMC ride in August at the Pedal Partner Tent. Our newest Pedal Partner is Quinn from Weymouth and will not be at the tent as he is in isolaltion at home.
Please meet Team Perini’s Pedal Partners:
Quinnie
Quinnie, “The Mighty Quinn”, was celebrating his 3rd birthday one Sunday in February 2019 and was in Children’s Hospital the next, leading to a diagnosis of a brain tumor on his brain stem, more commonly known as Medulloblastoma. Days later, he had 95% of the tumor removed (“resected”) and is currently a patient in a trial under the supervision of Dana-Farber and The Jimmy Fund Clinic. He has gone through numerous rounds of chemotherapy, months of hospitalizations and a stem cell transplant.
Medulloblastoma is the most common central nervous system (CNS) embryonal tumour and the most common high grade childhood tumour, accounting for 15-20% of all childhood brain tumours. They are commonly found in children between ages of three and eight, with a higher occurrence in males.
Sadly, Quinnie is in isolation at home, so his only way of seeing people is “in his window.” He will look out the window during the day and say “any visitors?” Check out his Facebook Page The Mighty Quinn - the best photos and videos of Quinn at this window and his visitors!
Elena
On July 1, 2011, Elena was 2-years old was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She was inpatient at Children’s Hospital for 45 days and then received treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic until August 9, 2013, when she had her last dose of chemo! She will be six years off treatment in August 2017. She looks forward to cheer on Team Perini every year. From Elena's mom, Elena turned 10 in March and is in 4th grade...double digits! She is down to a once a year check up at the Jimmy Fund which we love! She is starting swim team tomorrow for the first time and has started guitar lessons which she is really enjoying. Looking forward to seeing everyone!
Poppy
Poppy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a tumor on her retina) at the age of 4 months. With the timely diagnosis and treatment, Poppy was considered to be in remission before her first birthday. She continues to see her ophthalmologist, Dr. Ankoor Shah, every six months for an exam under anesthesia to ensure that there isn't any tumor regrowth. Throughout all of her treatments and follow-up exams, Poppy has never lost her happy-go-lucky disposition! With each subsequent office exam, Poppy's vision continues to improve. From Poppy's mom, Kate, Poppy just finished 1st grade and is heading into 2nd grade in September. She had a wonderful school year but is enjoying her summer off!!! Poppy just played the role of a wicked stepsister, Pearl, in a spin-off of Cinderella. It was her first time having several lines and she crushed it!?? Poppy is quite the actress. She is healthy and happy and we have her annual Dana-Farber/Jimmy Fund Clinic day coming up at the end of August. Hopefully all is well and she can move into the Survivor Clinic!!
Last, you can stop now if you have read my letters before, as I must tell my first connection with DFCI is due to my late father-in-law, Dr. Brad Patterson. Brad was the first one to introduce me to DFCI. Brad was a surgeon (one of the first surgeons to perform lumpectomies instead of radical mastectomies) and then as Director of Cancer Control (now called Population Sciences). Brad is credited with, among other things, making DFCI a smoke-free environment … imagine they used to allow smoking at this renowned cancer center!
I went to a luncheon where Brad was honored by the Fellows of the Patterson Fellowship program and one of the Fellows at that luncheon was Dr. Lisa Diller who later became the Medical Director of the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at DFCI. The coincidence or miracle is that I ride for Team Perini, meant to be!
And of course, I ride for all the friends and family who have had cancer and, thankfully, survived … and to those friends and family who sadly did not.
So many reasons to ride … and, I hope, for you to give.
Thanks so much for your support.
Love, Lisa
My Top 10 Highlights from my 2018 Ride
August 6, 2108
Dear friends,
Thank you so much for your contribution to my $4,000 financial commitment to the Pan-Mass Challenge and now have raised my minimum fundraising!
Rain, rain and when you thought it couldn’t rain heavier, it did! The rain continued for the last 43 miles of my ride from Wellesley to Bourne. At least the temperature was around 75 with no humidity, so one could say it was refreshing – need to find the silver lining;)
Each year I like to recap my ride with my Top Ten experiences, helps me to remember the day and provides a way for you to “ride along” with me.
Top Ten for August 4th (in no particular order)
1. I wondered, is a by-product of turning 60 this year, when did all these “flat” roads turn into hills? This year, it seemed there were so many more up hills than down hills!
2. I thought about all the “thank yous” I hear during the ride. “Thank you” from people cheering and thanking the riders for riding, from the riders to the police officers that hold up traffic for us, from the riders to the volunteers who make it all happen: are at the ready with water, food, transporting our luggage, blowing up our tires, and then back from the volunteers to the riders who thank them for riding, and from the riders to fellow riders who say “on your left” as they pass by and are thanked by the rider on the right so you don’t collide with them. Just a lot of gratitude passed around.
3. As I ride, I find it’s a time to reflect on so many of my friends and family that have been treated for cancer. I think my uncomfortable ride in the rain, my sore butt from my bike seat or my legs starting to get tired, can’t ever and won’t compare to the pain and suffering they all have felt along with their families. It’s hard to complain on this ride, (but I quietly doJ) but we ride to fund/find a cure so maybe we just don’t have a PMC ride anymore.
4. My bike helmet is a conversation starter. I tie on as many origami cranes on my helmet with pipe cleaners and receive so many compliments, i.e. “nice hat”, “cool helmet”, “nice hair-do”, “love the cranes”, and even received, “best helmet decoration I have seen so far today”. So many people comment on the cranes and I love to tell the story while we ride if possible. All the cranes, but 2, made it through the drenching rain, probably due to strong origami paper folded in love. I feel like Forest Gump as I try to tell as many who will listen about the cranes: The cranes were folded for Jacqueline Desai 7 years ago while she was in treatment for osteosarcoma. They stand tall on my helmet as they decorate it with love and prayers from all the hands that folded those cranes for Jacqueline. We asked our community for 1,000 cranes to make an origami crane sculpture (cranes represent peace and/or recovery) and we received over 2,000 cranes from family, friends and strangers! We put together a crane sculpture of 1,000 cranes for Jacqueline’s bedside and with help from the Hingham Middle School (HMS) created another larger sculpture for Boston Children’s Hospital’s lobby that was on display for 5 weeks and later hung in the HMS. Each year, I choose from the remainder of the cranes and place many on my helmet. The cranes have “flown” on my helmet since then. Sadly, Jacqueline died at age 18, but I feel she “lifts” me up in spirit as I ride.
5. Now that you know about the cranes and dear Jacqueline… I rode up to a woman with a photograph of a young girl pinned to her back and then this woman remarked on my cranes and asked me if I had folded them. Well, we ended up riding together for about 5+ miles and so I told her the story and then she told me hers. Meghan, whose photo was on her back, died at age 16 of a brain tumor. She told me how she spent so much time with Meghan and her family. Megan was “Tewksbury Tough”, the motto of her high school and lived her short life fully. Then we decided to part ways, I looked at her nametag on her bike – “Jacqueline” was her name. I like to think that was not a coincidenceJ
6. On the first day of the ride, most riders wear the PMC bike jersey that is given to you and on the second day, Team members will wear their own Team cycling jerseys. As you can imagine, these shirts are quite memorable and unique to their prospective teams. For many years, I have noticed this one jersey that has a beautiful woman’s smiling face in B&W with her hair flying around her on the bottom half and then the top half has one large red graphic rose on it. So, I decided to ask the rider wearing this jersey, “who is the beautiful lady?” He was happy to tell me that her name was Debbie; she was 45 years old when she died 10 years ago of a brain tumor. Her children and husband and friends ride for her. What a tribute to her so many years later, that’s how we keep them in our hearts . . . glad I asked him.
7. The signs along the road are funny: “PMC=Pour Me a Cocktail “and “PMC=Prefer My Car”, or heartwarming: “3 Cancer Survivors Thank You”, or encouraging: “You Will Survive the Storm”, and direct: “Make Cancer Your Bitch”.
8. In Lakeville, the third water stop, mile 60, we are greeted by posters of all the PMC Teams’ Pedal Partners, children currently in treatment for cancer at The Jimmy Fund Clinic at DFCI. This year they lined up about ¼ mile before we entered the water stop. Who cares that you are drenched and feel 10lbs heavier, your hands and arms hurt from the death grip on your handles for fear of falling from the wet surface – you will go home and dry off. Everything is now in perspective once you see those smiling faces inspiring you to ride.
9. At the Pedal Partner Tent we meet up with Team Perini’s Pedal Partners, Poppy, 6, and Elena, 9. They have become good pals since they have represented our Team for many years. Elena seems to look after Poppy like a little sister. They are creating gifts at the craft table and Poppy makes Elena a gift that reads, “Elena is my frend”. So sweet. Poppy recently cut her long hair for wigs for cancer patients and according to her mom, Kate, plans to grow it again so she will make another wig. Both so young and so filled with grace.
10. The finish line – food and hot shower in sight (only to get wet again!) and crossing it with a sense of satisfaction, purpose and love.
Until next year, thanks again,
Xo, Lisa
If you haven't donated yet, please read why I rode below!
June 30, 2018
Dear friends,
This weekend I will ride 83 miles with 6,000 cyclists in my 13th Pan-MassChallenge (PMC) from Wellesley to Bourne. Looks like a stormy day, but anything is better than a few years ago when it rained the entire way to Bourne in 60 degree weather!
So far I have logged over 1,425 miles riding in the PMC (not counting the endless hours of training!) and raised over $83,000 for research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston over the last 12 years thanks to the support of my friends.
I've made a personal and financial commitment to ride and fundraise the minimum of $4,000 to ride from Wellesley to Bourne.
Sadly, we all are touched by cancer; my reasons for riding in the PMC are below. If you don’t have time to read and would just like to donate now, please do!
To donate to my PMC ride, please use the following link: http://pmc.org/egifts/LP0071
If you prefer to write a check, please make your check out to “PMC” and mail it to me at 2 C Street, Hull MA 02045 and I will send it to my PMC account.
Why do I ride each year?
Why do I ride each year to raise for funds to beat this insidious disease? I will try to summarize as best as I can....
As I have been a member of Team Perini for the last 12 years, I am dedicating my ride this year to the Perini Family, as the matriarch of the family passed away this year, Eileen Perini. Eilleen and her husband, Dave, took thier grief of losing their son, David, at the age of 26 and focused it on creating the first ever cancer survivors' network in the country at DFCI in 1990. Eileen and Dave raised more than $11.5 million and launched the David P. Perini Jr. Quality of Life Clinic to advance research and clinical care for cancer survivors. The clinic focuses on survivors of pediatric cancers. What a beautiful tribute to her own child that she lost to cancer. What an amazing woman, I am so proud to have known her and ride for her mission.
Also, my passion for PMC fundraising isn’t just about the PMC Ride in August, but also, to the annual PMC South Shore Kids Ride that happens in early June. This year I stepped out of my Coordinator role that I have done since 2010 and volunteered as I made the transition. Over 300 children rode to find a cure for cancer, these PMC young riders have raised over $50,000 so far so far this year (and over $600,000 in the last 12 years) and the are the future PMC riders!
Pediatric cancer, what more needs to be said? I ride for the children stricken with cancer whose childhood is put on hold while they receive treatment for their particular type of cancer.
As I mentioned above, I ride for Team Perini and we ride in honor of these children. In particular we are riding for our alumni PMC Pedal Partners, 9-year old Elena and 6-year old Poppy who have greeted us at the third water stop on the first day of the PMC ride in August at the Pedal Partner Tent.
Please meet Team Perini’s Pedal Partners:
On July 1, 2011, Elena was 2-years old was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She was inpatient at Children’s Hospital for 45 days and then received treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic until August 9, 2013, when she had her last dose of chemo! She will be four years off treatment in August 2017. She looks forward to the South Shore Kids ride and cheering on Team Perini every year.
Poppy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a tumor on her retina) at the age of 4 months. With the timely diagnosis and treatment, Poppy was considered to be in remission before her first birthday. She continues to see her ophthalmologist, Dr. Ankoor Shah, every six months for an exam under anesthesia to ensure that there isn't any tumor regrowth. Throughout all of her treatments and follow-up exams, Poppy has never lost her happy-go-lucky disposition! With each subsequent office exam, Poppy's vision continues to improve.
Last, you can stop now if you have read my letters before, as I must tell my first connection with DFCI is due to my late father-in-law, Dr. Brad Patterson. Brad was the first one to introduce me to DFCI. Brad was a surgeon (one of the first surgeons to perform lumpectomies instead of radical mastectomies) and then as Director of Cancer Control (now called Population Sciences). Brad is credited with, among other things, making DFCI a smoke-free environment … imagine they used to allow smoking at this renowned cancer center!
I went to a luncheon where Brad was honored by the Fellows of the Patterson Fellowship program and one of the Fellows at that luncheon was Dr. Lisa Diller who later became the Medical Director of the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at DFCI. The coincidence is that I have ridden for Team Perini for the last 12 years! The very philanthropic Perini family honored their son, David, who died from cancer at the age of 26, started the first cancer survivorship clinic in the country at that time.
And of course, I ride for all the friends and family who have had cancer and, thankfully, survived … and to those friends and family who sadly did not.
So many reasons to ride … and, I hope, for you to give.
Thanks so much for your support.
Love, Lisa
August 18, 2017
Here is my Annual Top 10 PMC Weekend Observations:
Having completed my 163-mile, 2-day cycling adventure from Wellesley to Provincetown yesterday, it’s now time to write a huge thank you for supporting my fundraising commitment to the Pan-Mass Challenge for The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI).
The ride was long but with superb biking weather (cloudy, mid-70s, about 20 miles of rain on day 1 and Day 2 with a sunny, cool morning, reaching high-70s by noon), bike and legs working efficiently, no flat tires and only a skinned knee from a fall in the parking lot before I began my first 82-mile ride with my BBMs (best bike mates) husband Stu, Gerry Morrissey and Erach Desai, it all added up to a fantastic weekend. And a badge of honor: the prevailing headwinds were the strongest in PMC history as we entered Provincetown for the last 5 miles, just when you thought it was all over, the work really began to ride against the wind! The finish never looked so good!
Again, I want to share some of the highlights of this amazing weekend where over 4,000 volunteers and 6,000 riders converge to make the PMC an unforgettable weekend to honor our family and friends that have experienced cancer’s wrath or to find a cure for this insidious disease. Here are my top 10 observations, not in particular order, they are all are #1!
Backstory of the origami cranes: The cranes were folded for Jacqueline Desai 6 years ago while she was in treatment for osteosarcoma. They stand tall on my helmet (and help my bike mates find me as we rideJ) as they decorate my helmet with love and prayers from the hands that folded those cranes by so many for Jacqueline. We put a shout out for 1,000 cranes to make her an origami (cranes represent peace and/or recovery) crane sculpture and we received over 2,000 cranes from family, friends and strangers! We put together a crane sculpture of 1,000 cranes for Jacqueline’s bedroom and with help of the Hingham Middle School created another larger sculpture for Boston Children’s Hospital lobby, which was on display for 5 weeks. So many people comment on the cranes and I love to tell the story when time allows. Jacqueline sadly died, but I feel she “lifts” us up in spirit as we ride. This year I rode the first day with Erach, Jacqueline’s dad, he beamed when I told her story to cyclists that asked about the cranes.
2.) Here are a few examples of the signs along the route this year:
“I’m 19, Because of You”, a sign held by a young woman in a Northeastern shirt, sends chills up my spine as I think of my own children. I remember her last year with a sign that read “I’m 18 and Going to College Because of You”.
“Evan is Here Because of You” with an arrow pointing to a vey young boy, who must be Evan.
“Cancer sucks. Let’s end it.”
“MAKE CANCER YOUR BITCH” – a large industrial sign placed on by the road.
The PMC acronym was in play this year with: “Plump Men Cycling”, “Pour My Cocktail”, “Prefer My Car”, “Pour My Drink” and my favorite, “Pipes Motivate Cyclists” as a woman played her bagpipes at the top of a hill!
“PMC Riders are Badass” – ‘you bet I am’, I thought, as I cycled up Wellfleet’s Heartbreak Hill past younger riders!
“Go MOM Go”, this sign was placed a few times on the road. I imagine that my kids are encouraging me!
3.) Along the ride you hear: riders greeting one another (name tags and where they are from on the back of their bikes), music played by spectators, 5 men banjo and guitar jam session, drumming, plastic horns blaring, a Raggedy Anne costumed accordion player with a 6-foot lobster at her side, friendly horn beeping by passing cars, bikers playing music, police officers wishing you good luck as they stop traffic for you, spectators thanking you for riding. Campers from Cape Cod Sea Camp behind “da hedge” screaming at you!
4.) Along the ride spectators pass out: lollipops, Swedish Fish (held out by fishing poles), water bottles, popsicles, and this year Bud Light! Drinking and cycling – not so helpful!
5.) The best water stop is at Lakeville on Day 1, as you enter you view over 65 Pedal Partner posters of children on the side of the road who are receiving treatment for cancer at Dana-Farber. These children are Pedal Partners connected with the PMC teams. When you walk into this tent, you see so many children and families and it puts it all into perspective why you ride and you can’t complain about the rain, sore hot feet, legs, or butts. Team Perini celebrated our alumni Pedal Partners, 5-year old Poppy and 8-year old Elena along with their families who greeted us. All are cancer-free now! Was fun to watch Elena, as she calls Nick one of our teammates, “the high-five man” that has high-fived her since she was 2! Nick teases her as he pulls his hand away playfully which delights her in laughter.
6.) At Mass Maritime Academy in Bourne at the end of Day 1, food never tasting so good, a 15-minute massage, a live band, thousands of riders and volunteers under a huge tent, hanging out with good friends on the lawn, meeting up with Team Perini for a team photo and finally in bed by 8:00pm. And then the wake-up call at 4am on Sunday to get up and do it all again!
7.) The first “hill” you encounter on Day 2 is the Bourne Bridge – we caught the sunrise over the horizon just as we cycled to the top of the bridge, best hill ever!
8.) Volunteers – love them! They thank us for riding and we thank them for volunteering. The same volunteers make the water stops so festive for the cyclists as they roll through them.
9.) Plain and simple: the ice bench in Wellfleet. Feels so good...
10.) At the end of the PMC weekend, grateful for the comfortable cushy seats on fast ferry to Boston, grateful to friends (PMC biking mates, Mary, Tom and Melissa) who picked Stu and me up, greeted us with a huge “congratulations” sign at the dock and made dinner for us that night.
I am so fortunate to experience the PMC and I can’t wait for next year…
And with friends like you, with your contribution, I have completed my minimum fundraising and also reached my goal of over $7800 raised to continue to be a Heavy Hitter! I know that you are asked to support many organizations and I really appreciate that you chose to donate to the PMC.
July 14, 2017
Dear friends,
For the last 12 years, I've committed to raising money for cancer research by riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) and will ride 162 miles from Wellesley to Provincetown on the first weekend in August joining over 6,000 cyclists. The PMC raises money for research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston. So far I have logged over 1,262 miles riding in the PMC (not counting the endless hours of training!) and raised $75,285 over 11 years thanks to the support my friends.
I've made a personal and financial commitment to ride and fundraise the minimum $4,800 to ride from Wellesley to Provincetown. I hope you will help me achieve this significant goal. My ultimate goal is to be a “Heavy Hitter” fundraiser and raise a minimum of $7,800. I have been a Heavy Hitter for 9 out of the 11 years that I have cycled in the PMC!
Sadly, we all are touched by cancer; my reasons for riding in the PMC are below. If you don’t have time to read and would just like to donate now, please do!
To donate to my PMC ride, please use the following link: http://pmc.org/egifts/LP0071
If you prefer to write a check, please make your check out to “PMC” and mail it to me at 66 Burditt Avenue, ?Hingham, MA 02043 and I will send it to my PMC account.
Why do I ride each year?
Why do I ride each year to raise for funds to beat this insidious disease? I will try to summarize as best as I can.
This year my husband, Stu and I will ride for our friend, Steve, who was newly diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) and recently spent 26 days in the hospital receiving chemotherapy. So frightening, for a few days you are not feeling well and then the next day you are in the hospital for a month. Life turns on a dime… I can’t even imagine what Steve is going through but I can ride for him. John Lennon said it well; “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.
Steve will be on my mind as I ride many miles on August 5th and 6th from Wellesley to Provincetown.
My passion for PMC fundraising isn’t just about the PMC Ride in August, but also, to the annual PMC South Shore Kids Ride that happens in early June, as I have been one of the Event Coordinators since 2010. I am able to really be in the mix of our core committee; over 160 volunteers, sponsors, donors and opening ceremony speakers; the PMC Pedal Partners (children currently in treatment for cancer) and their families; and, of course, a few of the 325 riders, each of whom have their own personal reasons for riding, volunteering and sponsoring the Kids Ride. It swells my heart and I am so fortunate to be a part of so much compassion and love dedicated to helping find a cure for cancer and helping those who have cancer. By the way, these PMC young riders have raised over $52,000 so far so far this year!
Pediatric cancer, what more needs to be said? I ride for the children stricken with cancer whose childhood is put on hold while they receive treatment for their particular type of cancer.
I ride for PMC’s Team Perini and we ride in honor of these children. In particular we are riding for our alumni Pedal Partners, 8-year old Elena and 5-year old Poppy who have greeted us at the third water stop on the first day of the PMC ride in August at the Pedal Partner Tent. This year Poppy and Elena both had teams in the PMC South Shore Kids Ride. Elena and her Team received recognition from State Senator Patrick O’Connor for all her fundraising efforts raising over $29,000 for the PMC South Shore Kids Ride!!
Please meet Team Perini’s Pedal Partners:
On July 1, 2011, Elena was 2-years old was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She was inpatient at Children’s Hospital for 45 days and then received treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic until August 9, 2013, when she had her last dose of chemo! She will be four years off treatment in August 2017. She looks forward to the South Shore Kids ride and cheering on Team Perini every year.
Poppy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a tumor on her retina) at the age of 4 months. With the timely diagnosis and treatment, Poppy was considered to be in remission before her first birthday. She continues to see her ophthalmologist, Dr. Ankoor Shah, every six months for an exam under anesthesia to ensure that there isn't any tumor regrowth. Throughout all of her treatments and follow-up exams, Poppy has never lost her happy-go-lucky disposition! With each subsequent office exam, Poppy's vision continues to improve.
Last, you can stop now if you have read my letters before J as I must tell my first connection with DFCI is due to my late father-in-law, Dr. Brad Patterson. Brad was the first one to introduce me to DFCI, as he was on the staff there, first as a surgeon (one of the first surgeons to perform lumpectomies instead of radical mastectomies) and then as Director of Cancer Control (now called Population Sciences). Brad is credited with, among other things, making DFCI a smoke-free environment … imagine they used to allow smoking at this renowned cancer center!
Before he retired, I went to a luncheon where he was honored by the Fellows of the Patterson Fellowship program and was astounded by the recognition and honors he was given! In fact, one of the Fellows at that luncheon was Dr. Lisa Diller who is now the Medical Director of the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at DFCI. The coincidence is that I have ridden for Team Perini for the last 11 years! The very philanthropic Perini family honored their son, David, who died from cancer at the age of 26, started the first cancer survivorship clinic in the country at that time.
And of course, I ride for all the friends and family who have had cancer and, thankfully, survived … and to those friends and family who sadly did not.
So many reasons to ride … and, I hope, for you to give.
Thanks so much for your support.
Love, Lisa
August 3, 2105
Each year I write my top 10 observations that I experienced while riding in the PMC that I like to share on this very inspirational and magical day. Sorry for the length of this letter, but a lot happens while riding 111 miles!
1. This was my first time starting from Sturbridge along with more than 3,000 PMC riders. PMC takes over a hotel, grounds, parking lot and conference center. The air is electric with like-minded volunteers and riders all excited about the night and next day activities. The televised Opening Ceremonies are extraordinary as cancer survivors and riders all convey their messages to inspire us to ride such a long distance and ask you for your donation to beat cancer. Sadly, the reality of our times since the Boston Marathon sets in when you see so many police and bomb-sniffing dogs in the very large crowd.
2. Say “Sturbridge” and all you hear from riders are “oh, the hills are tough…” well that is true as I found out. As I reached the top of one hill, I told a spectator on the side of the road, “I will switch with you”, as I looked at his motorcycle, he smiled and said, “That is one bad-ass hill”. I said, “My sentiments exactly”!
3. On this same hill ? a man with a prosthetic leg pedals up the hill besides you.
4. Along your ride, you meet volunteers as well as riders. At mile 42, a volunteer, Diane, greeted me when I got off my bike with gallon jug of water. She thanked me for riding and likewise I thanked her for volunteering. She said it was her first year as a volunteer and her second year as a cancer survivor.
5. Along the route, the spectators are cheering you on with signs, blowing horns and thanking us for riding. I’ve said this before, you feel like a rock star when you see the sign that says “YOU ROCK”! There are streets that I feel are in competition for more noise and decorations! One is Cherry Street in Wrentham, named the “Mile of Hope”. They had bagpipers and drummers with a balloon arch across the street. The other street is in Plainville and they had a Calypso band and a bubble machine!
6. Two signs propped up that read: “Cancer at 3”, next one reads, “Now I’m 14”. J
7. We attach nametags to the bike bags under our seats, so you can say hello by name to your fellow cyclists. One cyclist I recognized from Duxbury who was at a Heavy Hitter dinner a few years ago with his twentyish-year old daughter, both had cancer at the same time. The dinner was the night before her marriage and they both spoke with their doctors about their treatment together. He had pinned to the back of his shirt “Father Survivor”, and riding next to him was a man who had “Daughter Survivor” on his shirt. So, I asked him are you riding for the father and daughter that were at the Heavy Hitter dinner a few years ago? He said he was and that he was riding for his wife, the “Daughter Survivor” and she was not riding since she was pregnant now with their third child! He said she rides every other year and has been pregnant the other years! Great outcome for all 3 riders!
Some more poignant… One man I saw with a beautiful black and white photograph of what appeared to be a photo of a young wife and her very young daughter, which read, “I ride for my wife Lisa”. Behind him was his daughter, in her late teens, she too had a photo of a young mother with her very young daughter and it read, “I ride for my mother”. It appeared that there were no recent photos. I told her that their photos were beautiful, she beamed back a smile and said ‘thank you’.
I noticed two men with the same beautiful photograph of a very young woman pinned on their backs. Without saying a word, the older of the two rode past not saying a word to the younger man, up the hill with a burst of energy, the younger man saw him and followed with the same vigor. It appeared to me they needed no words, just inspiration from the woman in the photo.
8. At the Lakeville water stop is the PMC Pedal Partner Tent where the Pedal Partners can greet their Team members. Pedal Partners are children in treatment for cancer or who are cancer survivors. As we pedaled to the water stop, at least 40 Pedal Partner Posters were placed ¼ mile along the side of the road. The very first poster was that of Poppy, my Team Perini’s Pedal Partner. Poppy is 3-years old and is a cancer survivor! The very last poster was of Sophia, another Team Perini Pedal Partner. Sophia is 8-years old and is currently in treatment and doing great! One Pedal Partner, Beatrix, was standing next to her poster while her dad was taking her photo. Don’t need more inspiration than that to ride.
9. We pass through 40 towns and the police help us cross the streets at intersections. We always thank them and they wish us well. One officer as we crossed, took his hand and placed it over his heart. I was really moved by this, perhaps he was thinking of someone he loved with cancer.
10. When we reached Mass Maritime in Bourne, it is a happening place! There is a huge tent with over 6,000 riders and volunteers, a band, delicious food, beverages of all kinds, teams meeting for team photos, a huge bike parking lot with thousands of bikes, and 15-minute massages! I got a massage as soon as I showered and didn’t have to wait in line since I was a Heavy Hitter from last year’s donations, thank you if you supported me last year! We had a well-deserved dinner, great conversations with Team Perini members and made new friends. Especially with a father who told us about Team Abby who formed his team for his then 4-year daughter who had cancer, who is now 13, such a proud papa!
A great ending to an amazing day! Thank you for “riding” along with me.
June, 2014
To my friends and family,
Well, I wrote a year ago, telling you our Fireworks Party was off as we went on a family vacation and that my Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) fundraising didn’t end with the cancelled party! The good news is the Fireworks Party is back; this year on June 28th and yes, it is early … and the fundraising picks up again for my 9th PMC ride. This year, though, besides riding the first day with my friends, I am going to ride the second day with my son, Brad, who will ride in his first PMC ride!! So exciting that the PMC passion is running, or should I say, “riding” in my family.
My target this year is to raise $7,000 by October 1st for the PMC to help them meet their incredible goal of raising $39 million for The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)! 100% of all PMC fundraising goes directly to The Jimmy Fund at DFCI to support their pediatric and adult cancer patients and cancer research.
Each year, I have special, new reasons to ride and raise funds for the DFCI and each year I summarize them in this letter; please read on.
One reason I ride is that I am always inspired after the PMC South Shore Kids Ride, which was last Sunday. As one of the coordinators of the event, I am able to meet with our core committee of dedicated Crew Leaders and Coordinators; some of our 189 volunteers, sponsors, underwriters, donors and opening ceremony speakers; the PMC Pedal Partners (children currently in treatment for cancer) and their families; and, of course, a few of the 383 riders, each of whom have their own personal reasons for riding, volunteering, fundraising, and sponsoring the PMC Kids Ride. It swells my heart and I am so fortunate to be a part of so much compassion and love dedicated to helping find a cure for cancer and helping those who have cancer. By the way, these PMC young riders have raised over $55,000 so far so far this year!
My second reason this year is Joe and Gina Vita; to whom I am dedicating my ride this year. Joe is in treatment for lung cancer and Gina is a breast cancer survivor of 12 years. Cancer is so unfair to strike a family twice and to strike two people who live such healthy lives. That is why cancer is so insidious, random, and frightening to all of us. At the fitness center where Gina is an instructor, she continues on her endless mission to keep us fit while I’m sure she’s just thinking about Joe. Joe, a doctor himself, is now experiencing first-hand being the patient in the middle of a health crisis. However, the good news is that funds raised for DFCI have helped with new research for Joe’s type of cancer. His doctor’s research has found the genetic mutation for his cancer and so Joe’s treatment now is with an experimental drug focused on the gene responsible for that cancer. These two friends are two of the many that I will think about as I ride over 120 miles on August 2nd and 3rd.
My thi
I have chosen to keep all of my donors' information confidential; therefore it is not displayed on my PMC public donor list.
| 2025 | $0.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
| $2,000.00 | PMC Winter Cycle | |
| 2024 | $6,239.91 | Wellesley to Provincetown Monument (2-Day) |
| 2023 | $7,717.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
| 2022 | $9,991.55 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
| 2021 | $5,872.00 | Patriot Place to Patriot Place |
| 2020 | $3,030.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
| 2019 | $5,792.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
| 2018 | $6,105.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
| 2017 | $8,530.00 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2016 | $7,685.00 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2015 | $8,129.00 | Sturbridge to Bourne + Wellesley Century (2-Day) |
| 2014 | $9,154.38 | Wellesley to Bourne + Wellesley Century (2-Day) |
| 2013 | $8,217.00 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2012 | $5,153.00 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2011 | $7,272.00 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2010 | $6,747.00 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2009 | $6,060.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
| 2008 | $7,410.40 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2007 | $5,726.00 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2006 | $3,682.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
