Dear Friends and Family,

I'd like to open this letter by sincerely thanking all who made a donation to my first Pan Mass Challenge ride last year.  With your help I successfully reached my fundraising goal.  More importantly though the event as a whole was able to raise over $30 million for the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

Yes, once again, the Pan Mass Challenge beckons!  This will be my second year riding and I could not be happier about raising money for such a wonderful cause.  I will be honest and admit that it is not an easy endeavor.  I am reminded of last year, the 6-7 days a week training regiment, the fundraising effort and a knee issue sidelining me for a month.  I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into.  That thought was completely wiped away as I rode in the event.  The outpouring of support along the route was tremendous and I was overwhelmed with emotion during the ride.  There were many memorable moments, particularly when we rode by the oldest PMC cheerleaders, the bagpipers who played a fun tune as we went by or the thousands of spectators cheering us on as we passed.  There were also sad moments as we passed signs and pictures of people, mostly children, who sadly lost their battle.   One in particular was a lady who cheered us on while crying; beside her on a chair was a large picture of her 6 year old son, who lost his battle to cancer a few months before the ride.   She saw my name on my bike and personally thanked me as I rode by.  It is moments like these that I will never forget and why I am back again to ride in this event.

Despite the economic woes of our great country certain events will carry on and for all the right reasons.  I know this year could be different for many of you, and I humbly submit that the mission of the PMC to cure cancer in our lifetime is as relevant as ever.  It is one of the most efficient ways to contribute to an organization that will directly or indirectly benefit someone you know who will have cancer in their lifetime.  

As a refresher, here are some PMC facts from the recent past:

·         In 2009, the PMC donated 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause.

·         The PMC generates half of the Jimmy Fund's annual revenue and it is Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor.

So please take a moment and make a tax deductible donation securely on line with a major credit card to my ride.  My eGift rider code is TD0108.  If you would like, you can also mail a check made out to mthe PMC to my address at 23-12 Hecla Street, Uxbridge, MA 01569.   The direct PMC line for an online donation is:   http://www.pmc.org/profile/TD0108

On behalf of myself and the PMC, my sincerest thanks for your continued support.

With sincere gratitude,

Troy

P.S.  If you’re curious, I have posted a few pictures from last year’s PMC on my donation page.