18 Years of Pan Mass Challenge
Every August, I ride the PMC with the support of my family and friends to raise funds for Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
In Memory of Rich Hassler
Dear Rich,
Since you left, hell froze over. It is a long story, but the PMC ride is cancelled this year ... AND ... Billy Star waived our fundraising minimums.
More unimaginable than any of all that is I am riding in your memory.
I am writing on Day 1 of PMC weekend after 66 miles on an ad hoc route on Cape Cod.
To memorialize our shared love of math, I will ride a prime number of miles this weekend - 101 miles.
Thank you for countless memories, laughs and inspiration. I miss you.
Love, Linda
Thank You Joe and Regeneron
In addition to its prolific work to combat COVID-19 this year, Regeneron Pharmaceutical announced game-changing cancer therapeutic, LIBTAYO, for the treatment of metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) for candidates untreatable with curative surgery or radiation and for non-small cell lung cancer.
Thank you, Joe and your team at Regeneron, for your tireless work and beyond generous support of PMC.
PMC Supporters
PMC support from my friends and family is over the top My brother, Joe and my friends, Maureen and Sheila, make PMC very special from their extremely generous donations to the Sign to the after-party. Thank you and everyone who has sponsored for the encouragement to keep riding.
Team Dassault
In 2007, I joined Team SolidWorks (aka Team Dassault). Some of my fondest memories of training for PMC are with Rich Hassler and Adam Klein. We were very disciplined in our post-ride recovery nutrition - beers were our secret to refueling for the next ride. I ride with Team Dassault today, a team that is as extraordinarily well organized and supported as the PMC itself.
The Erica Leafquist Fund
On joining Team Dassault, I met Eric Leafquist with whom I shared many, many PMC miles. Eric is Dad of Erica, a talented and prolific artist - also a very famous artist with her work on permanent display at Fenway Park. While cancer took Erica’s life in 2013, it did not take the power from her and her art to move us. This year, all the funds you donate to my PMC ride will go to the Erica Leafquist Fund (ericaleafquist.org).
Why I started riding PMC
I signed up for PMC in 2003, because I was looking for a charity that could help people who were really sick and who heard way too soon, I am sorry, but there is nothing we can do.
At that time, my Dad was in the late stages of early onset Alzheimer's Disease. Why not support an Alzheimer's fundraiser?
The practical reason was 100% of PMC funds go directly to the cancer research - most efficient charitable fundraising event in the world.
The emotional reason was there was zero hope to cure Alzheimer's. Not only did I take comfort in the company of fellow PMC bike riders who too were struggling with loss - but, could live vicariously through their hope. People survive cancer. The more money we raise, the more riders we recruit, the longer route we ride - it all maps to realizable results - more and more people surviving cancer.
Thank You
Thank you for your generosity.
Linda
lindasmith@cerescom.net
781-608-6143
Links to My Corporate Sponsors
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
RPC Photonics, Inc.
Apollo Optical Systems, Inc.
HoustonHogle, LLP Intellectual Property Law
nPoint, Inc.
Gradient Lens Corporation
Cirtemo LLC
Avery Design Solutions
Ceres Technology Advisors
Method Advisors
Autovision
Blue Wave Marketing & Promotions
Team Photon Raising $20K in Pan Mass Challenge
