The PMC is not just about raising money for
Dana-Farber. It is a special time in our lives that we only get one chance to experience every year while our friends and family are alive. I am driven to be the best I can be for this cause. A
PMC Pedal Partner,
PMC Winter Cycle rider, PMC two day weekend rider,
Volunteer and for the first time a
PMC Unpaved rider.
I ride PMC for a friend and for the
Dr McGregor research fund at Dana-Farber. Because I believe that someday this will find the cure for a wide variety of Cancers besides Renal Cell Carcinoma.
I rode the PMC Wellesley 100 mile Century in 2021 and it inspired my friend Paul Hartley to ride PMC with me who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. We created PMC team Ocean State Cancer Crushers and rode the 2022 PMC Century together with our friends and wives in extreme heat. Our wives got into a cooling van around mile 80 and contemplated ending the ride until much younger riders told them they were quitting which prompted the ladies to dig in deep and finish it. Since that time Paul has endured Chemo, Immunotherapy, radiation and recently clinical trial car t cell therapy for solid tumors. He is currently unable to ride and we hope he will gain the strength again to be able to ride the PMC 50 at a slow conversational pace together.
We lost friend and teammate Chris Spear unexpectedly on February 28th, 2024.
Chris and I rode about 2,000 miles together over the last two years. Before meeting Chris my cycling was all about
completion and not about speed. Chris was my cycling teacher who helped get me to a 20mph average. But he didn't just help me get faster. He reassured everyone to remain optimistic as new cancer treatment options come out much faster than the past. Chris was also a living proof rider.
I had convinced Chris to ride with me from Sturbridge this year and we would attempt a fast ride to finish it first together. Just for fun and for notoriety to push fundraising, Chris finished the PMC route first before in his 35 years as a PMC rider. Riding with me in his place will be Year 1 PMC rider
Louis Gentile who rode with Chris through BikeWorks rides of East Providence and Swansea Mass. Louis is a very fast rider and it will take everything I've got to stay with him. Laura Spear has given me Chris Spear's 89 jersey to wear for the ride in honor of the first year Chris rode PMC in 1989. The same year the PMC crossed $1million to the present historic year for PMC 2024 $1Billion. I know Chris will be watching over us and we look forward to seeing our friends at the finish. For those that knew Chris I am grateful to have known such a wonderful person and supporter of the PMC.
Our team fundraising in 2024 will exceed $300K in year 3.
This my 9th year as a PMC rider and 12th since being introduced to the cause. I have surpassed $100K to Dana Farber as an individual which I am very proud of as it represents my family name and my history as a PMC rider.