The Pan Mass Challange (PMC)

So today was the Pan Mass Challange - aka the PMC. The PMC is a 1 or 2 day long bike ride from central Massachusetts to the cape, or to eastern Mass. Of course, its a fundraiser- in this case, a major fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund, which does a lot of work with cancer in children, and for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute which treats cancer patients of all ages, as well as performs cutting edge research on new cancer treatments.

We chose a one-day, 72-mile (in theory) route from Sturbridge to Wellesley. We got up at 3:30 in the morning, and drove to Sturbridge for the 6am start. We were done riding by about 1 pm. So it took us about 7 hours ride to 80 miles (this was the first year for this particular route, and it was very poorly marked once the different routes split up).

Today was one of the best days of my life.

Basically, I rode 80 miles, most of the time slapping the hands of little kids who were holding them out, waiting for just that gesture. There were a lot of people cheering, and saying 'thank you'. Entire families out cheering on their lawns at 6 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday. All 4000 riders, and 2000 volunteers, and all those countless supporters - all united for the hope for the future. The hope that a cure for cancer can be found. I helped raise $25 Million today. And it felt SO good to be a part of that, to feel empowered, and not feel so alone. Everyone there was there for a reason - either they are a survivor, or they know a survivor, or they have losted a loved one. We were all in it together, we all have that common thread, but we all had our own individual stories and reasons. And they are all painful to hear & think about (but, becuase of the hope we've helped raise, the atmosphere almost all day long was one of celebration).

I remembered over & over the day I signed K & I up for the ride- the day of the funeral for a friend of the family. I couldn't make it home for the funeral (we were on the road for K's job, and with such short notice, it wasn't possible), so I signed up for the PMC instead. I just remember how helpless and miserable I felt on that day, and today went a LONG way towards soothing that. It can't be fixed, but it can be turned around a little bit so that SOME good can come out of it.

There's a good chance that either my sister or I will be diagnosed with cancer at one point in our lives; our mother had cancer, and many relatives have had cancer. The PMC is one way to help our own personal fight on two levels: I can help raise funds for research that may one day directly benefit me & I can train for this event year after year, giving me a focus and a reason to maintain my physical fitness, which will likely reduce my risk for developing certain types of cancers, or at least, keep me stronger when it becomes my turn to fight it.

Of course, we, like many other people, have a long list of friends and loved ones that we have seen fight cancer; many have lost the fight, but many are also winning the fight. The ONLY way, really, I can help any of us is to help raise funds for research- so that we might all reap the benefits.

The ride is done for this year. But there is always next year, and next year will be bigger. and better.