Summer is officially here and the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) is right around the corner.  In  three short weeks.August 6th and 7th, I will head up to Boston and ride my bike along with thousands of riders to Cape Cod for one reason and one reason only...We must find a cure for cancer.. This is my 8^th year participating in this event and I am proud to say that I have personally raised in excess of $60,000 dollars for the fight against cancer.  This year Team Perry celebrates its 11th Anniversary Ride and I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that so much time has passed since Perry’s passing.  This year’s ride takes on additional significance as I have learned of close friends that either have cancer or it is affecting a loved one.  Cancer shows no mercy and every day I thank god for the health of my family and friends

As most of you know, my sisters first husband Perry passed away in 1999 after a short battle with cancer of the small bowel. It is hard to believe that it was 12 years ago, July 4^th weekend that we learned of his diagnosis - we were devastated. My sister and I had a double wedding and we had all been married less than 2 years.  Perry was the  was the picture of health! We knew it would be a hard road but Perry was a fighter and we had every reason to believe he would beat it. Four months later, he was gone. It is still unthinkable that Perry, a marathon runner and tri-athlete, lost his life at the age of 32.

Participating in the PMC has become a wonderful tradition in our family. It has become so much more than just a tribute to Perry's memory; it has become an incredible opportunity to make a difference in the fight against cancer. My sister Melissa continues to be the anchor of the team and with the incredible support of Melissa’s husband Josh, she continues to show incredible commitment to this cause. This year I am happy to say that in addition to riding next to my sister, dad, Perry’s brother and our fabulous team of 70 members, my nephew Max Deutsch and brother in law Larry Deutsch are both in the saddle.  It’s a little humbling training with a 18 year old boy, but with my awesome bike and the highly coveted Weinhoff playlists on my iPod, I am doing just fine. 

Since 2001, Team Perry has raised close to 3 million dollars. It is mind boggling how much we have accomplished in such a short period of time! The Perry S. Levy Fund for Gastrointestinal Cancer Research at Dana Farber (established shortly after Perry's death), provides for the annual salary of a gifted medical research doctor whose contributions will help find a cure. Due to our incredible fundraising, we are thrilled to be able to support two NEW Fellows this year!  Dr. Gabriela Motyckova, who was born in the Czech Republic, trained at Harvard Medical School and Mass General, and who is now joining DFCI faculty as a leukemia doctor.  Dr. Mandar Muzumdar who trained at the Brigham & Womens, and who will be working in GI oncology, both at Dana-Farber and in a laboratory at MIT.  Sadly, Dr. Muzumdar lost his father to the same type of cancer that took Perry. We are also very proud of our first five recipients, all of whom have received appointments to the Harvard Medical School faculty and are medical oncologists at the Dana-Farber Institute or Mass General Hospital - our dollars are producing real results. We are getting closer to both meaningful prevention strategies and the cure.

This year we are challenging ourselves to raise $450,000 and exceed the 3 Million Dollar milestone. We know it won't be easy but cancer knows NO recession!  Remember, no amount is too small. So go ahead, they've made it easy - click the "Donate to My Ride" button below and help us make a difference in the fight against cancer. If you would prefer to donate by check - please make it payable to "PMC-Jimmy Fund" and send it to my home at 9 Vincent Lane Armonk, NY.

Thank you for your donation, friendship and incredible support!

Love,
Jocelyn

P.S. check out our Team Page at http://www.pmc.org/TT0046