2024 PMC
Dear Family and Friends:
This will be my 23rd Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) as I will be joining over 7,000 riders and over 4,000 volunteers to gather for a bike-a-thon across Massachusetts on the first weekend in August with a common mission: raise funds to fight cancer in support of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This support allows riders to focus on why they’re riding: to fund cancer research and provide Dana-Farber's doctors and researchers with the necessary resources to discover cures for all cancers.
The PMC has raised $972 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since its launch in 1980. Today, the PMC is the single largest contributor to Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund and is responsible for 62 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. There is a lot of excitement as this year the event will surpass $1 Billion!!
I will be riding a total of 285 miles over 3 days. My personal commitment is to raise $10,000 and I hope you can help me reach this important goal. If you can give, please do so, as your generosity will make a tremendous difference this year. 100 percent of every dollar donated supports Dana-Farber’s world-class research and care.
Here is my story that has motivated me to help fight this disease:
During the latter half of 1999, I experienced increasing low back pain. A CT scan identified a surface tumor on a lymph node in my abdominal area. Just before Christmas 1999, I went in for surgery to biopsy the tumor. Results of the biopsy would not be complete for two to three days. One day later, I began to experience chest pain so severe, that I found myself in the emergency room at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Admitted back to the hospital, I was subject to a series of precautionary tests. During these tests, a new physician entered my life - my oncologist. He shared with me the results of my biopsy - the diagnosis was seminoma cancer. Treatable diagnosis, but I would be going through months of chemotherapy that would not be pleasant. However, the fun was just getting started. About an hour later, I had a chest ultrasound performed and it identified a pulmonary embolism, or massive blood clots in both my heart and lungs. Immediately, a flurry of doctors rushed in to tell that I had only one option, which was emergency open-heart surgery to remove these clots. By now I had concluded, today was turning into a shitty day.
Recovery from heart surgery went well, but many times, there are unforeseen complications that test your will. I developed more blood clots in both legs, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT's), which required multiple vascular surgeries to remove the blood clots. Recovery from open-heart surgery and DVT’s delayed my chemotherapy for two months. Impacted vascular circulation made walking impossible for three months.
Finally, I was able to begin a chemotherapy treatment that would prove to be very successful in ending the tumor’s growth. I am forever thankful for the support I received from my family, friends, medical professionals, and complete strangers that found a way into my life. Every moment of every day, I give thanks, and cherish the many wonderful things that we are able to do each day.
In this time that I have been riding and fundraising for the PMC, you have helped me raise over $192,000.00. Last year our efforts yielded $11,850.00 and this year I hope to raise $10,000 with your help. I am riding on Team Lick Cancer's cycling team Home (teamlickcancer.com), which as a team we raised over $825,000. See links below to donate online, otherwise, if you prefer to send a check, my mailing address is: P.O. Box 525, Keene, NH 03431
Thank you - Hope to see you soon!
Tony
My Link:
Gift page - http://profile.pmc.org/TT0019
Every donation brings us closer by the mile. Please donate to my ride by clicking one of these links:
Donate $1,000
Donate $500
Donate $250
Make a donation of any amount
Donate from a Fidelity Donor Advised Fund
PMC donations are tax deductible and 100% will go to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The PMC's tax ID /EIN number is 04-2746912.
The Pan-Mass Challenge only uses your personal information to thank you and will not share it with any other organizations.
