James Kelso's Ride
Why I Ride ...
Thank you for taking the time to help!
When I got back on a bike 10 years ago, it was for fun and exercise. If you had told me that I would be doing 192 mile rides, let alone counting them among the great experiences of my life, I would have surely laughed.
Here I am, 10 years later, riding the Pan Mass Challenge for the fifth time. Its a great event. More than 5,000 riders and 2,500 volunteers working toward a common purpose -- along a route lined with survivors and their families -- bringing more than 34 million dollars to bear in the fight against cancer.
You can't roll a quarter mile without seeing someone along the roadside saying thank you or cheering you on. There is always someone to ride with, and you honestly could not find a finer group of people anywhere. Its like having a huge family for two days. If you could bottle the good feeling and sell it, we would have no need for fundraising.
But we do need to raise money, and everywhere you turn are the reminders as to why. Riders wear photos of lost loved ones on their jerseys, or have 'Mom' or 'Dad' or 'Me' written on their calf. Mothers line the side of the road with poster size photographs -- a newborn -- a child in chemotherapy -- and usually, a healthy, cancer-free kid and a big 'Thank You.'
Sometimes there are only two pictures.
Like too many others, I lost my mom to breast cancer. Riding in the PMC lets me honor her memory, and make a difference in the way things go for the next person - a bigger difference than I could make alone. This is where I need your help.
This time around my goal is $18,000. Every bit gets us 'Closer by the Mile.'
Thank you for helping me make a difference.
James
When I got back on a bike 10 years ago, it was for fun and exercise. If you had told me that I would be doing 192 mile rides, let alone counting them among the great experiences of my life, I would have surely laughed.
Here I am, 10 years later, riding the Pan Mass Challenge for the fifth time. Its a great event. More than 5,000 riders and 2,500 volunteers working toward a common purpose -- along a route lined with survivors and their families -- bringing more than 34 million dollars to bear in the fight against cancer.
You can't roll a quarter mile without seeing someone along the roadside saying thank you or cheering you on. There is always someone to ride with, and you honestly could not find a finer group of people anywhere. Its like having a huge family for two days. If you could bottle the good feeling and sell it, we would have no need for fundraising.
But we do need to raise money, and everywhere you turn are the reminders as to why. Riders wear photos of lost loved ones on their jerseys, or have 'Mom' or 'Dad' or 'Me' written on their calf. Mothers line the side of the road with poster size photographs -- a newborn -- a child in chemotherapy -- and usually, a healthy, cancer-free kid and a big 'Thank You.'
Sometimes there are only two pictures.
Like too many others, I lost my mom to breast cancer. Riding in the PMC lets me honor her memory, and make a difference in the way things go for the next person - a bigger difference than I could make alone. This is where I need your help.
This time around my goal is $18,000. Every bit gets us 'Closer by the Mile.'
Thank you for helping me make a difference.
James
James's PMC Total
$300
Goal
$18,000
My Progress
My Online Supporters
| $300 |
My Rides
| 2010 | $300 | Sturbridge to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2009 | $13,096 | Sturbridge to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2008 | $11,868 | Sturbridge to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2007 | $4,696 | Sturbridge to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2006 | $3,340 | Sturbridge to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2004 | $4,732 | Sturbridge to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
