Dear friend:

I am reaching out today to ask for your support for the Pan Mass Challenge and for Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

This summer my immediate and extended family are gearing up to ride the PMC again on August 5th. For some of our gang it’s a repeat endeavor and for others it will be the first time. Whatever the case, we are logging our miles on our bikes, relying on yoga to stretch us back out, and worrying a lot about whether we have trained enough. (Probably not!) In any event, we are all excited to be a part of this great community event.

But, as everyone who rides will tell you, it is the least we can do to help those impacted by cancer. Too many of our relatives have been affected. My father, my favorite aunt and my sister-in-law all lost their battles after waging brave fights. At the same time though, my mom, my husband, and another sister-in-law fought and won with the help of Dana Farber. We are so grateful for the compassion of every staff member and the expertise of the Dana Farber team. We’re riding to support their great work and for the promise of making continued progress against cancer to help families like ours . . . and yours.

If you’re not able to donate this year or if someone beat me to you, let me ask a different favor. Spend some time making sure your routine health screenings are up to date and be the reminder for the rest of your family and friends. Phil’s first colonoscopy revealed an issue that was treatable, and he is now ten years cancer-free. My mother’s routine dermatology screenings have revealed two different early stage cancers that have also both been treated. One nice by-product of Phil’s experience is that his colonoscopy story launched a slew of appointments among friends and family! Cancer seems to have its own game plan but staying on top of your health can make such a difference for you and your family.

Thank you for your consideration. Be well.

Nancy Lotane