This year, I'm a proud participant in my 1st Pan-Mass Challenge - 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. I'll be riding the one day route from Bourne to Provincetown on Sunday. This ride isn’t just about covering miles or testing my limits; it’s about standing up for the millions of people whose lives have been forever changed by cancer.

Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It touches everyone—young and old, men and women, rich and poor. It doesn’t care about our plans, our dreams, or the people who love us. Nearly every one of us has felt its impact—whether through a personal diagnosis, a friend, a family member, a co-worker, or a neighbor. It is a disease that steals too much, too soon.

Cancer touches everyone, and for me, this ride is deeply personal. Multiple generations of my family have been impacted by this disease, including my grandmother, my father, and my cousins. This year, I am riding as part of a team that includes one of my cousins, who will be riding as Living Proof—a testament to resilience and hope.

Despite the devastation cancer causes, there is hope. Tremendous progress has been made in research, treatment, and early detection, but we still have a long way to go. Every year, new breakthroughs bring us closer to better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. But these advances don’t happen without funding—without people like you and me stepping up to support this fight.

That’s why I’m riding. I’m riding for those who have fought bravely. I’m riding for those still in the fight. And I’m riding so that, one day, no one has to hear the words, “You have cancer.”

Your support makes a real difference. Donations from fundraisers like this help fuel life-saving research, provide essential support to patients and their families, and improve access to care for those who need it most. Even a small contribution can be the difference between hope and despair for someone battling this disease. 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.