We ride for the families who are shaken by cancer diagnoses, strained by the treatments and care-taking of their loved ones, strengthened and brought closer through love and the will to survive, and fractured but not dissolved by loss.
Room for Mom is a tribute to the memory of my mother, Elizabeth A. O'Brien, who lost her long battle with ovarian cancer on March 2, 2013. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to see Jay and I ride, she asked us to save room for her on our tandem. And we do just that. After someone is gone, all we have are the memories we made with them. My family and I are so grateful to her doctors, nurses, and many others at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston who gave us 10 more years of memories together since her first diagnosis in 2003.
The Pan-Mass Challenge holds a special place in our hearts. Since 1980, PMC riders have raised $414 million for DFCI through the Jimmy Fund, $39 million of that just last year. 100% of rider donations go directly to the Jimmy Fund, making up 60% of their annual revenue. It is the largest and most successful athletic fundraiser in the country. These donations, your donations, make the level of care at DFCI possible. They provide funding for cutting-edge research and patient care, for people like my mom. Riding in the PMC and raising our $4,000 goal is our way of showing our gratitude, supporting those who are fighting right now, and honoring those who we have lost.
Will you support us?