The answer is simple I ride for my Family! This will be my second year of participating in the Pan Mass Challenge. I will once again be joining my brother for the ride in celebration of survival, strength and compassion for those that have had their lives affected by cancer.The PMC truly is a one of a kind event that brings riders from all over the country together, some ride for themselves, to prove cancer can't keep them down, some ride for family but all riders are herefor a common purpose and that is to find a cure! In the months leading up to my ride I trained hard covering many miles to prepare myself for the physical challenge represented by the 192 mile ride. However,the hours of training could not prepare me for the tremendous emotional impact that the PMC has on you. As i stood on the start line,i could not help but be overwhelmed with emotion standing shoulder to shoulder with over 2,000 ridersunited for one common purpose. You could not help but feel that you were part of something special. The sense of purpose was evidentfrom the riders to the fans lining to the street in the early morning hours and to the countless volunteers that made this event possible.

Last year the PMC was able to raise over 30 Million dollars that goes direct to cancer research at the Dana Farber Institute, to provide funding to seek the cure for cancer. Last year with the generosity offriends and family i was able to contribute $4,200 to the cure and hope tobuild on that contribution this year. I can not thank those of you that contributed last year enough for your goodwill and generosity.

As I embark on preparations for my ride I can't help but reflect on how great an impact cancer has had on my life and what events havebrought me to this great event. Cancer first impacted my life when i was only 5; my mom was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer that normally affects only those much older that she was. However, cancer knows no age limits and cancer claimed her life in 1984, far too soon for any son to lose his mother. To this day i think about my mom and wonder what life would have brought me ha she not be affected by cancer. Despite this tragedy our family persevered and my Dad remarried a special woman that raised me as her own and has given me a lot of strength and helped mold me into the man i am today.

For years there were no incidents of cancer within my family then in April of 2006 my oldest brother Michael was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer (Gemistocytic Astrocytom Brain Tumor). The cancer was aggressive and he needed immediate surgery followed by extensive chemo and radiation treatments. In June 2008, the tumor returned and he went through a second surgery on July 22, 2008, once again he was faced with Chemo and was told he could no longer work. In October 2008, he was diagnosed with a third tumor that was inoperable, he continued chemo treatments until December 22, 2008, the chemo treatments were not doing any good and he was sent to Duke Medical University and on my birthday January 15, 2009 he found out that he had less than 2-4 weeks to live. The tumor had taken over his brain and he lost use of his right side and his speech. He was a true fighter; he fought to the end, outliving all doctors' predictions for his type of cancer.

Of course while dealing with a brother having a brain tumor in the fall of 2006 my family learned that my other brother Neil had been diagnosed with rare form of cancer; a GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor) after collapsing at work due to complications caused by the cancer. It is at this point that the Dana Farber Institute becomes such an important part of our family. They saved my brother who, without Dana Farber, would not be here today to ride with me! I first learned of the Pan Mass Challenge because of my older brother Neil and his stay at the Dana Farber Institute. They saved my brother who, without Dana Farber, would not be here today to ride with me! Today my brother has no signs or the cancer coming back and he has two beautiful and healthy children and a great wife who will be cheering us on with the rest of my family as we ride in this great event.

In April 2010, cancer once again reared it's ugly head in my family, this time it stuck my step mother in the form of a rare kidney cancer that is only supposed to affect people much older than she is. The news of this shook my Dad as he felt a bit of Deja Vu with similar things being said about my Mom's cancer that claimed her life. However, this time the science and technology was able to get the better of the cancer. My step mother had her Kidney removed and the doctor gave us the great new that after it was removed that there were no further signs of cancer. Our family breathed a sigh of relief and added to the already large list of reason to ride in the PMC

Today I ride in the Pan Mass Challenge for my two mothers', my brother Michael, and my brother Neil. I ride because I want to be a part of something greater than the diagnosis of cancer. I ride because I want to be a small part of finding cures for this deadly disease. But most importantly, I ride because I want tobe with my family and share in the celebration of survival and seeking the cure for this disease that has impacted millions around the world in hopes that future generations like my nieces' and nephews don't have to experience the same feeling of loss and tragedy that I have had to endure.

I will cross the finish line with my brother Neil on August 8, 2010 after riding the full 192 miles and I would like to know that I have the support of you as well. My brother Neil and my family have raised over $31,000 over the past three years and this year my brother and I have a goal of $10,000 and I know we cannot do this alone. I need your help in doing this. So I ask that you log onto the following link to make your donation and know that this money goes to help families like mine who have not only been touched by cancer, but our lives have been changed by cancer. Please click the egift link under my goal status bar or make a check payable to PMC-Jimmy Fund and mail it to me at 4473 McIntosh Park Drive Apt 815, Sarasota, FL 34232. Please be generous and I want you to know that my family and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will beat this disease but until we do, my brother and I will continue to ride and cross that finish line together! Again, thank you for your generosity.

James Cameron

Ride On!