I am participating in the Aug 2025 PMC as a 3 time rider on behalf of my son, John Buchta, and his PMC team - Buchta's Brigade. In April of 2021, John had a large gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) resected and received a diagnosis no one wants to hear.

While it was daunting to learn GISTS are resistant to traditional chemotherapy and radiaton, John is incredibly lucky that there are a multitude of FDA approved targeted drug therapies such as Gleevec that was developed with research by his oncologist, Dr. George Demetri, and his talented team at Dana-Farber. Approved by the FDA in 2001, Gleevec made the cover of Time Magazine and was described as the revolutionary new miracle drug that has since saved the lives of 350k individuals.

While the advent of these medications was a profound medical advancement, there's no reason to stop there. In a monolithic effort to eradicate cancer, I invite you to join me in supporting the ongoing research at Dana-Farber as we bike 186 miles across Massachusetts.

Your support to Buchta’s Brigade 2025 and Dana-Farber is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Mark Buchta