This August, I will be riding my first ever Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) alongside my dad, a bike-a-thon that raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country - to bring us Closer by the Mile to a cure for cancer. This is a cause that is very close to my heart as I am riding in memory of my grandfather, Jack Dawson, who passed away from Lymphoma before I was born. Riding alongside my dad to support his father and all those affected by cancer is something I have always wanted to do.

I've even managed to bring my dad out of PMC retirement for this special ride! After 17 years of dedicated participation, he thought he was done, but I guess he couldn't resist the chance to ride with me.

Since its founding in 1980, PMC riders like me have raised more than $1 billion for lifesaving cancer research, treatment and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the country's top cancer care hospitals. My PMC is making a difference in the lives of patients at Dana-Farber and around the world. The funds I raise support the innovative work of doctors, nurses, and scientists in their search for cures for cancers and related diseases.

100 percent of every dollar I raise goes directly to Dana-Farber, meaning that your donation has a real impact! Please donate to my PMC fundraising and help me reach my fundraising goal.