Thank You PMC 2024!!

Thank You

Thank you once again for all your donations and well wishes. This year the Pan Mass Challenge surpassed a billion dollars raised for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

You have raised $44,514 and all of that goes directly to the Dana Farber-Cancer Institute.

I need to give a shout out to Arbella Insurance for the extra generous donation this year. Whether it’s my ride, the Jimmy Fund Telethon, blood drives or something else, Arbella seems to constantly be involved in some local charity.

I also need to give a shout out to all of you for donating all these years. I am truly grateful to have such wonderful extended family and friends. I really feel blessed to still be able to ride in this event and I would not be able to do it without all of you.

Day 1

As far as the ride went. I am not going to lie. This year the challenge was the heat and humidity.

With a bunch of miles left, at around mile 50, the heat was really cranking. I said to our angels “Thanks for keeping the rain off the course, but 95 degrees with this humidity REALLY!! This is just when, lining the road, the posters of the children we are supporting showed up. That in itself is enough to inspire you, but this year in addition, there was a man standing next to one of the posters. He asked the riders whizzing by if someone could take a picture of him. Naturally I slammed on my brakes. He was in front of a poster of Chloe. Chloe is his daughter. She is currently being treated at Dana-Farber. That made it real for me. Your donation is directly helping Chloe. That was enough to give me the energy I needed to finish.

This is a good time to mention the volunteers. In the same heat they walk around with water jugs pouring water, giving out orange slices and giving words of encouragement. At the first rest stop there was this tough old guy. He looked like a WWII vet. He was pouring gallons of water in the blazing sun. I know he was thinking, stop your whining, fill up you’re water and get out of here.

At around one o’clock. I finished at Mass Maritime Academy there were tents and a cool breeze. That was nice.

Day 2

As hard as day 1 was, day 2 was enjoyable. It started at sunrise along the Cape Cod Canal with the fishermen. Fishing along the Cape Cod Canal at sunrise has to be on my bucket list. It was 71 degrees with a breeze. It felt like winter. The sun was rising behind a cloud, creating sunbeams. I can’t describe how beautiful it was. This set the tone for the rest of the day.

The support on the Cape this year seemed extra crazy. In fact I swear, while I was riding along Setucket road, I heard a scream “Let’s go Johnny”. I did.

After sitting in 2 hours of traffic, part of my road crew met me in front of the Provincetown Monument. I need to once again thank my road crew. I would not be able to do this ride without my road crew.

We drove back to the house and I was greeted by the rest of the road crew. Meet the 2 new members of my road crew Francis and Sadie.

From the bottom of my heart. Thank you to everyone who has ever donated or encouraged me to ride 😍 🙏.

John

If you know someone who still wants to donate to this years ride it’s not too late. My link is https://profile.pmc.org/JD0487.