With support from friends and colleagues in the domain industry, my 2019 Pan-Mass Challenge fundraiser passed the $7,500 mark this morning. All of the money raised goes to the life saving work at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the most important cancer research and treatment organizations in the world.
For the last couple of months, I have been training for my 161-mile, 2-day PMC bike ride. On August 3rd, John Berryhill and I will leave from Babson College in Wellesley, ride 78 miles to Mass Maritime Academy, and then ride the remaining 83 miles on August 4th. The ride is not easy (especially with the Summer-time heat/humidity and occasional torrential downpours), but it is made easier because of the support we have been receiving from friends and colleagues like you.
I am sure we all know someone whose cancer diagnosis changed their lives and ours. Put simply, it sucks. Other than offering to give them whatever assistance I can, there’s a feeling of not doing enough to help. Riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge is my way of doing something to show family, friends, and colleagues that I support their brave fight and admire their strength.
Sadly, I have lost friends and family to cancer. It sucks. When I go out alone on my training rides, I think a lot about them. Every time I pass Marilyn St., I think of my Aunt who passed away a few years ago (she made the best angel food cake). I always think about my friend Barry who passed away a little over a year ago (we celebrated his memory with a mid-week casino blackjack trip). I know someone who is fighting right now, and he is far braver in the face of adversity than I could muster.
My wife and I support Dana-Farber because we know people who were treated there, and we know the progress they have made over the years. We also recognize that there is a lot of work left to accomplish to help people with cancer.
Thank you to all who have supported my PMC fundraising this year and in years past. I am proudly wearing my 2019 PMC domain industry-sponsored jersey, which I will also wear as I cross the finish line in two weeks. Every donation moves me closer to my $12,500 goal this year.
