Dear Friends,

This year, on Aug. 2, 3 and 4, I will be riding close to 300 miles in my 14th Pan Mass Challengeto raise money for the Dana Faber Cancer Institute. While the official PMC totals 192 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown, MA, I will be adding an extra day on Friday riding from the NY border to Sturbridge to make it a true Pan Mass ride.

This year I have personally committed to raise $6,000 for the PMC/DFCI.

On Thanksgiving Day in 2009 we lost my sister Patty to breast cancer. After her passing I was looking for a way to honor her memory. My friend Diane had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer and explained how lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US and received the least amount of research funding. Lung cancer claims more lives than colorectal, pancreatic, breast or prostate cancer. She asked me to join the fledgling LungStrong team to help raise money specifically for lung cancer research. After learning about the disease and lack of financial and social support I knew I found a way to honor Patty.

When I signed up for that first ride in 2010 I figured I would ride once and be done. But now that I am coming up on ride number 14 I am as committed to this ride and this cause as my first year.

14 years in I am continually reminded why I and many others do this ride, we lost an uncle Thanksgiving Day 2023 from lung cancer and over the past few years we have lost several of our LungStrong team members to lung cancer. My friend, and our team captain, Diane has been battling lung cancer for 18 years and is currently in a renewed battle with her disease. Just recently her sister has also been diagnosed with lung cancer. My neighbor two doors down was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer last year and is currently undergoing treatment at DFCI. Though we have made a lot of progress in treatment and detection in the past 14 years, we still have a long way to go to defeat this disease. This is why I continue to ride in the PMC with Team LungStrong.

One hundred percent of the funds raised by the PMC go to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. One hundred percent of the funds that Team LungStrong raises through the PMC will go directly to lung cancer research at Dana Farber's Lowe Center of Thoracic Oncology. DFCI is a leader in innovative lung cancer research and is working diligently to find a cure.

There are many worthy organizations in need of money; I ask for help to raise funds for the DFCI to continue their lung cancer research for Diane and all lung cancer patients and help me ride with the memory of my sister.

Thank you for your support,

Matt

My Links

Go2 For Lung Cancer

http://www.lungstrong.org