Dear friends and family,

Over the first weekend in August, I’ll join 6,500 cyclists in the Pan-Mass Challenge, an annual bike-a-thon that raises money for research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

I’ll be riding alongside my husband Jeff, and in memory of my father, Eli. When my father received cancer treatment at Dana-Farber over eleven years ago, his doctor and nurses treated him with memorable kindness. My father died of mesothelioma, and I'm proud to be raising money to support the place that treats more mesothelioma patients than anywhere else in the world.

I'm also excited (and a little nervous!) to be taking on this physical challenge with Jeff, as he and I have both been thinking about staying on top of OUR health as we, um, get on in years. (I'll be riding my bike from near our Newton home down to Cape Cod in one day, 84 miles in all. Jeff continues on for day two to Provincetown, while I head back to take 10-year-old Ellie to sleepaway camp for the first time!)

Please consider supporting me on this journey by contributing to my goal of raising $4,800 to the place that took such good care of my dad, and is working tirelessly to care for cancer patients and find a cure.

With gratitude,

Mora