For the last 24 years, I have been raising money for cancer research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. During the first weekend every August, I am one of 5,000 riders that raise $75 million annually to support cancer research. We have raised over $120,000 over my years riding and the team I started has raised $2.8 million.

For the first 10 years, we rode to remember a friend who had passed away from leukemia, but in 2013 my father was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer starting treatment at Dana Farber. We were lucky because his doctor put him on a clinical trial of a new drug that was being developed at Dana Farber. This drug saved my father’s life, today he is doing well and gets to play with his grandkids. What is truly remarkable is that this drug was in development for over 10 years. A decade before my dad knew he was sick we were funding the research that would directly save his life. Last year was a special year because my Dad’s Doctor rode on our team, he is riding in recognition of how important this funding is. Who knows how many future families and grandfathers will be saved because of the money we are raising this year.

There is an old fisherman’s prayer I think of when thinking about supporting cancer research “O, God, Thy sea is so great and my boat is so small”. I think that most people think this way, I am one person how can I make a difference against something as big as cancer. It is true one person alone cannot do it, but as a community, we can. I am one person but I am getting donations from all my friends. Each of the 5000 riders is doing the same and together we have raised $400 million since I started to ride. That is real money, that leads to real breakthroughs, and saves real lives; my family is living proof. This is why, to me, supporting cancer research is not a fad but a long term commitment to support the people and institutions in my community to make a difference.