Dear Friends, Family, and Colleagues, I will be cycling in the 2025 Pan Mass Challenge (PMC), Wellsley to Patriot Place, which is a 25 mile ride for the 15th year the first weekend in August. I do this ride to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund. I owe my life to both. The work it takes to complete this ride does not compare to the dedication these folks put into curing cancer! This is why I ride and raise money for the PMC.
As many of you may know, I am a cancer survivor. At age 8 I was diagnosed with Leukemia and treated at Dana Farber. I suffered a stroke, was in a coma for months, and had to relearn to use my body and my non-dominant hand. I had to endure a lot to survive! I know how hard the folks at Dana Farber work, and the care and quality service they give to their patients. This is one of the finest cancer research centers in the world! In addition to owing my life to Dana Farber, I ride for my mother, my grandparents, and my many friends who I have lost to cancer and friends who are battling now.
I am also riding for my lifelong friend Sandie Rossini who lost her 10 year battle with stage 4 brain cancer December 2023. Sandie, your battle will inspire my ride and further my commitment to killing Cancer !! Cancer Sucks
As many of you also know, I ride for my mom who was diagnosed with kidney cancer. She battled it for about a year with the support of Dana Farber. However, she lost her battle. Although I was left with a tremor in my right arm, I am fortunate enough to have beaten my battle and have been cancer free for over 30 years. I ride the PMC in my moms’ honor. I RIDE FOR YOU MOM!
Since its inception in 1980, the PMC has raised over $1.047 billion dollars so far for Dana Farber, raising $75million last year alone! I am a proud member of The Patriot Peddlers Team and I feel privileged to join my team on this ride each year. In 2018, I was honored by my team with the Charlotte Rose Kelly Memorial Human Spirit Award. I was humbled to receive this honor, and will continue to tell my story and ride to give back to those that have given so much to me.
To ride the PMC I need to raise $2,000. This is a sizeable amount for me, which is why I am asking you, my friends and family, to help me achieve my goal. Any support you can add to this would be greatly appreciated!! There are two ways to support me:
- You can go online to www.pmc.org and click on e-gifts. It will ask for my name, and you enter “Ryan Ford”. Follow the easy instructions on the page and it will then prompt you to make a donation in my name using your credit card.
- You can send a check payable to Pan Mass Challenge to:
Ryan Ford
4 Carnation Street
Woonsocket, RI. 02895
Thank you so much for all of your help!
Sincerely,
Ryan Ford
