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Team Ed's Flakes: A Family that Rides Together, Stays Together

Published Date:   September 04, 2013

Topic:   PMC News

This past January, Mary Walsh, of South Hamilton, Mass. lost her husband and best friend, Ed, due to heart damage related to treatment he received in 1995 for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He had just finished a spin class when he collapsed. He was training for what would have been his 17th ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge.  

Ed was a passionate PMC veteran who rode hundreds of miles for 16 consecutive years and raised more than $100,000 for the cause, which supports lifesaving adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the hospital that saved his life. Walsh describes Ed’s commitment to the PMC organization as unbreakable and a model to look up to. 

In 2012, Ed rode nearly 163 miles in the two-day event despite undergoing bypass surgery and receiving an aortic valve replacement just three months earlier.  His love and dedication for the annual bike-a-thon and its mission are something Walsh hopes her children, JasonTerry and Caitlin Waldron, experienced riding in the event this August. Caitlin is a veteran PMC cyclist who participated in the event for a fifth time this year. As for Jason and Terry, this was their first PMC experience. Walsh is a 10-year volunteer and seven-time cyclist for the cause.  

On Aug. 3 and 4, the Walsh family took Ed’s passion to their pedals and rode the 190-mile PMC route from Sturbridge to Provincetown under the umbrella Team Ed's Flakes. The Walshes were among a group of 16 cyclists, two virtual riders and 20 volunteers representing siblings, nieces, friends and neighbors of Ed who came together in Ed’s honor. To date, the team has raised more than $170,000. Although this was Walsh’s first PMC experience in 17 years without her husband by her side, she knows that Ed was there in spirit with her as she watched the sunset over the ocean at the Provincetown finish.  

You can support the Walsh family or another PMC cyclist or team, here. Donations to the PMC will be accepted until Oct. 1.

Post courtesy of Teak Media + Communication

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