Dear friends and family,

Did you think I was going to be early with this letter or even on time? Well true to form, I’m running a little late. I can’t give you a good reason why except that life happens. Maybe it is the 13 rainy Saturdays in a row? Or maybe it’s just that when I can’t ride, I’m not focused.

But Sunday, I had a great ride and now I am back!! 

First and foremost, as always, THANK YOU for being my amazing supporters! The PMC surpassed the 1 BILLION dollar mark of money raised last year! This is a truly remarkable achievement, and YOU are all part of that number.

There are two major focuses for me this year. 

The first is Diane Daniels Legg, our founder and captain of Team Lung Strong, who passed away this year. Diane lived, and I mean Lived, with lung cancer for 20 years. She was an amazing woman, wife and mom. Diane was an advocate for herself and anyone around her struggling with lung cancer. She lived because she put herself in every trial that was available - not only for herself, but to further lung cancer research for others. Ask any doctor at Dana Farber and they will tell you how hard she worked for a cure. Diane was all that and more to me. When Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, she put a call through to her doctor right in the middle of rider introductions in Bourne. It was an act of kindness I will never forget.
 

My other thought this year is about the state medical research in our country. We know that funding is being cut every day. Here in Boston, we have felt the effects of the administration’s change in funding almost immediately. We’ve seen university and hospital teams being forced to close their labs. And we’ve seen amazing doctors who are on the forefront of cancer breakthroughs being forced to stop their ground breaking research.

We have all been affected by cancer. We know that the research has made a difference. So, we need to continue to come together to make sure that important cancer research continues. Every penny of your donation goes directly to Dana Farber. Many of the names I carry with me on my t-shirt when I ride, are not only survivors, but thrivers, living their best lives today because of life-saving treatments developed by Dana Farber.

THIS IS WHY I RIDE!
As always, my parents, Jane and Ed, will be my guiding light – leading me all the way from Boston to Provincetown. Their names, along with the names of your loved ones, will be written on the back of my jersey. Please send me a name you would like to honor or remember, and I will happily add it.

Donations can be made directly to my PMC page:

https://profile.pmc.org/LW0119

If you prefer, you may send a check to my home address:

76 Parkton Road

Jamaica Plain MA 02130

Let’s be part of the next BILLION together!

With much gratitude and love,

Linda