I first came in contact with the PMC in 2006 when friends and family formed a team of riders called Brielle's Brigade. In 2007, I embarked on my first ride, covering over 300 miles in three days. I did it all over again in 2008, then tried something different in 2009, volunteering to support the ride instead of actually riding. I returned to the saddle in 2010 and thought that might be my last ride for a while. But life sometimes has other plans for us!

We sometimes take for granted the impact a person has on our life. At times we can't help but be touched by their words and deeds. Dad...or when I was feeling like a wise guy...PETE!...had that affect on me. There isn't enough time or space here to say it all, but the man touched my life in more ways than I ever realized.

Sometimes, it's the "little things" that touch us in the biggest way. The "little thing" that touched me was a comment PETE made days before he died from his battle with cancer..."Is this it?" How do you respond to that question from a guy who was 78 years old? A lifetime of experiences and still wondering if that was it. How would you answer? I have decided that what I do now will provide that answer for me someday and I want to be happy and content in my choices so that I can one day say "YUP, THAT'S IT! What a ride!!!"

Dad's question made me realize the importance of my decision to ride in the 2011 PMC. I want to make a difference, to reach and attain a goal I have set for myself, to do something that is important for others. So on Friday, August 5th I will start another journey east from the NY/MA state line and spend the next 3 days covering nearly 300 miles. Along the way, I will be touched by the friendship and teamwork of my fellow riders, by the support of the volunteers and public as we ride through their towns and by the special time I get to spend with Dad and Arden as I ride for them and others touched by cancer.

Please support my ride with a generous donation, 100% of which will go directly to cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.