My Links

For the past two years, I’ve ridden 200 miles across Massachusetts on the first weekend in August, with more than 5000 other dedicated bicyclists in the largest single athletic fund-raising event in North America, the Pan-Mass Challenge, or PMC. In 2010, the PMC raised $33 million towards cancer research. Over the past 31 years, the PMC has contributed an incredible $303 MILLION dollars to The Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA.

I am privileged to ride with an incredibly well-organized PMC team, TeamBrentWheels. We ride in support of an amazing nine year old cancer survivor named Brent. Our 64 riders and dedicated volunteers, are coordinated by our fearless and superbly multi-tasking logistician and Executive Director, Roger Haney. Every part of our journey is documented by our photographer, Ashley Skatoff.

Brent was only three years old in 2005 and was in chemotherapy, fighting for his life against Stage IV neuroblastoma. The picture on the left was taken during last year’s PMC Survivor Stop. As you can see, thanks to treatment at Dana-Farber backed by funding from the PMC, he is now a happy active boy - one with a very big red lobstah, our team’s mascot.

True story: I wasn’t even going to ride the PMC this year. After two years of fundraising and riding in this great event, I was more than 200 miles behind in training due to the cold, rainy spring, I had several schedule conflicts, and I was worried about ‘donor fatigue’.

But on May 13, 2011; I attended a PMC dinner in Boston honoring Dana and Mike McCreesh - Brent’s parents - for their enormous contributions to cancer research. Listening to them speak about the incredibly difficult, yet miraculous treatment that Brent received at Dana-Farber, I had tears in my eyes. I looked over at my friend Christina (a two-time survivor, who had also planned to take a year off), and we knew. We HAD to ride. Our issues were nothing compared to the hell that cancer patients and their families and friends face daily. We signed up immediately.

TeamBrentWheel’s dollars raised from PMC are specifically directed towards fighting neuroblastoma. Our team funded the construction of a dedicated MIBG room at Dana-Farber. MIBG is an advanced radio-isotope scanning procedure that can be both a test and a targeted therapy treatment for neuroblastoma. It is truly surprising how little funding childhood cancers receive, if it weren’t for the PMC and fundraising teams like TeamBrentWheels.

TeamBrentWheels is a diverse group of riders of every age and ability, including many cancer survivors who are among the strongest cyclists in the group. And each of us has personally committed to raising $4200 (in the past six years, TeamBrentWheels has donated $1.9 million!). That's where you come in. Please consider making a donation, even in the smallest amount. We have a huge goal to reach, and every little bit helps. As in the past four years, an unprecedented 100% of every rider-raised dollar goes to Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital.

To donate online, simply go to: http://www.pmc.org/egifts/giftinfo.asp?EgiftID=CL0139
This will take you directly to my page. And again, many gracious thanks to all who contributed in the past two years. Let’s eliminate Childhood Cancers this decade.

-Chris Lowenstein

We all rest in the shade of trees we did not plant

Chris's PMC Total

$0

Goal

$4,200

My Progress

My Online Supporters

My Rides