On August 2nd and 3rd, I will participate in my 39th Pan Mass Challenge 2-day ride to Provincetown to raise money for the Jimmy Fund of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. More about that ride in a bit.

I’m still donating platelets at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center which is not news to anyone who follows me on Facebook or Instagram as I post a photo every time I’m there. You are catching me at a good time because on June 12th I donated for the 625th time (and I've been back a few times since then). Only 3+ more years until the big 700 if I remain healthy enough to keep donating 24 times a year. I encourage everyone who is able to give blood to give platelets. It’s life saving! And I'm happy to answer any questions about what's involved in donating.

I continue to courier peripheral blood stem cells for transplant from donor to recipient for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). This year I’ve had international pickups in Heidelberg, London and Leipzig as well as numerous domestic trips and several skin graft deliveries for burn patients here in the USA.

Karen and I love babysitting our 19 month old granddaughter who comes to Brookline regularly and she’s had a few sleepovers too.

I am only committed to one fundraising ride this year which brings us back to the Pan Mass Challenge. Like me, you probably have a loved one who now or in the past has been diagnosed with cancer. This, more than anything else, is why I ride and fundraise every year. With your donation, you and I are supporting our loved ones and making a difference.

PMC dollars are critical to support the world-class cancer care and additional resources that DFCI provides to patients and their families and are needed more now than ever due to potential National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding cuts. There’s a lot riding on us and I hope you’ll support me. Last year with your generous support I raised over $12K. Thanks in advance for another tax deductible donation this year--100% of your donation will go to cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber so the momentum in our against cancer can continue.

Please click on any of the links to the left of the page to make a donation.

https://profile.pmc.org/ms0025

The Pan-Mass Challenge only uses your personal information to thank you and will not share it with any other organizations. You can also mail a check to me at 9 Coolidge Street Brookline, MA 02446 made out to PMC-Jimmy Fund. Every donation brings us closer by the mile.

Wishing you and yours all the best.

Mel