Steven Bonnell's Ride
Why I Ride ...
Dear Friends:
Well it's that time of year again, spring has sprung and I have made the decision to once again ride in the Pan Mass Challenge for cancer research. This will be my 3rd year riding the two-day 190-mile bike ride from Sturbridge, Ma to Provincetown, Ma. Each year I have ridden I have dedicated my ride to somebody who gives me inspiration and the motivation to get up and train during those early hours. My first year I rode for a family friend, Joanne Monahan, whom had just lost her lengthy battle with cancer. My second year I dedicated my ride two my newborn twins, Dylan and Quinn, with the hope that they might one day see a cancer free world. This year I find my motivation from two people:
My Dad was diagnosed with colon cancer in June of 2008 and after a long year of chemotherapy and radiation treatments his doctor's have given him a reprieve and we are anxiously awaiting "NED" (No Evidence of Disease). As of the writing of this letter he is in Florida, the doctor's require an 8-week period after the treatments stop before testing for NED. My thoughts are constantly with him and am confident NED will be with us soon!
This year my ride is also dedicated to my friend Kate Jackson. Kate is in the middle of a battle with Breast Cancer, at the age of 39. Kate's battle has hit our group of friends particularly strong not only because of our love for her but also because of the reality that this disease does not choose based on age. As I write this letter she in undergoing her second round of chemotherapy and has a summer of multiple treatments ahead of her. Kate is a writer and she has a blog www.pointyuniverse.comwhere she has always provided us with musing's about all of our everyday lives. She is now chronicling her battle on her blog and I encourage you to take a moment to read her writings. She truly is a gifted writer who is using her talent to let us all understand what she is going through, as well as become aware of what this process consists of.
Kate is being treated at the Dana Farber Institute, which is the beneficiary of the fundraising from the Pan Mass. Last year alone we raised over 35 million dollars from the ride and 240 million has been raised over the 30 years of the Pan Mass. As always my favorite part is that 100% of your donation goes directly to the charity.
In order to participate in the PMC, I must raise at least $4,200 by August, and I am asking everyone I know to help out. Don't forget, it is tax deductible! There are two ways to donate:
1. Check: Make your check payable to PMC-Jimmy Fund and mail to me at 101B 13th St. Charlestown, MA 02129
2. Egift credit card online Go to this web page to make a secure donation by credit card: www,pmc.org click on the logo at the top left, enter my EGift ID SB0217 Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are all accepted.
Also if you work for a company you can check to see if they have a corporate matching program at http://www.pmc.org/Fundraising.asp?topic=/deposits/matchcompany
Check out this great fact sheet http://www.pmc.org/ems_client/html/pdf/FactSheet2009.pdf
Also please feel free to pass this letter along to any one you think might want to participate!
Thank you for your time and consideration in this great cause.
Sincerely,
Steven Bonnell
Home 617-241-8734
Work 781-729-9700
Cell 617-899-4819
Steven's PMC Total
$0
Goal
$6,000
My Progress
