Dear Family and Friends,

When I was growing up, my father, Uly Primeau or "Coach's Dad" as he was fondly called in his later years, used to ask me if I was happy, whether he was taking me to an athletic practice or game, roller skating, dancing in the kitchen on his feet, washing dishes after a meal or taking me with him on a business trip.

 He was always in the pursuit of being happy and making others happy, he instilled in me a sense of humor and a quick laugh, the lightness of life, the competiveness to always do my best and not make excuses.   As I became a college softball coach, he was always there to make me see the positive side to any situation that could potentially be viewed as negative.  He would always pick the goodness to bring out, the positive things that happened on the field and make me see that a loss is not always a bad thing but something you could learn from.

 On February 26, 2009, my dad Uly Primeau lost his battle with Prostate Cancer just two months after being diagnosed.  Before he passed away, my last conversation with him at the hospital was all about him asking me again "Honey are you happy?"  What amazes me about him is not only his life long pursuit of being happy but his unlimited supply of giving of himself and wanting to make sure everyone around him got the happiness they wanted in life. 

When he passed away the day before I was to take the Bryant softball team down south to a scheduled weekend tournament, I was torn between grief for him and making that trip with the team that he asked me not to miss.  The decision to go was guided by what I knew my father would have wanted me to do and what he knew I needed to do.  My Dad was with me that weekend as I was coaching third base and ultimately getting our first Division I win, and after that win, I looked up and knew he was smiling and saying "see honey I knew you could do it, I am very proud of you and you just made me really happy".  I am riding this year for him, because I need to do my part to help stop this disease, he has done so much to help others and riding my bike 198 miles for him and others who can't will make me happy. 

On August 1, I will join more than 5,000 other cyclists in the 30th Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, a bike-a-thon that raises money for cancer research for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. This spectacular event raised more than $35 million last year by donating 100% of all rider raised funds to the DFCI. The PMC holds the promise of helping eradicate this disease which affects millions each year.

I will be riding from Sturbridge to Provincetown Massachusetts. To take part in this event I need to raise a minimum of $3,000 and am asking for your help in achieving this goal. Donations are tax deductible and may be made online at http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp

Cancer does not rest, it doesn't do a warm down at the end of a bicycle ride, it is relentless in who is strikes and just doesn't stop trying to destroy happy healthy people.  It is not-selective, it even takes down the truly-happy people.

I have ridden this event before and have asked for your support as I rode for others that mean a great deal to me, Many of you knew my father and said wonderful things about him during these last 3 months, this is a personal ride for me now as it has hit home.  Oh and by the way Dad� I am happy and I miss you.  Love < >Lis

Ps. My brother spoke at his eulogy and said it best

Life is but a stopping place,

A pause in what's to be,

A resting place along the road,

To sweet eternity.

We all have different journeys,

Different paths along the way,

We all were meant to learn some things,

but never meant to stay...

Our destination is a place,

Far greater than we know.

For some the journey's quicker,

For some the journey's slow.

And when the journey finally ends,

We'll claim a great reward,

And find an everlasting peace,

Together with the Lord

The million mile man can now move at the speed of light between celestial cities with his Lord  & Savior.... God's speed Dad