Cancer charity ride SOLICITATION
Hey, folks. It’s once again time for me to check in with you and ask you to sponsor my sixth Pan-Mass Challenge ride in support of cancer research, treatment, and prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Most of you know that I train year-round for the PMC, which is the most important event of my year. The PMC is by far the biggest athletic fundraiser in the nation, and generates half of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. On top of that, there are a couple things that are different this year, and I’d like to share them with you.
1. Last year, the PMC donated 99% of the money raised by riders.
Athletic fundraisers usually donate as little as 60-70% of their contributions to the charity they’re supposed to support. The PMC is required by its charter to donate at least 91%. Two years ago, the PMC astounded everyone with a 97% pass-through rate, and last year increased that to an unsurpassed 99%, which we are justifiably proud of. So you can rest assured that your donations are going straight to the charity, not to the people who run the ride.
2. This year, I hope to exceed $20,000 lifetime fundraising.
I’ve never raised $4,000 in one year, but that’s my current goal, so I can reach the $20,000 plateau in this, my sixth year as a rider. I really need your help to get there. And if your employer has a matching gift program, please take advantage of it. You can double your contribution at no cost to you other than filling out a simple form!
3. This year, it’s personal.
For the past five years, I’ve been lucky: no one I knew was undergoing treatment for cancer. This year is different. This year I’m riding for my good friend and former co-worker rubyred660, who has had to face this disease again and again over the past five years.
Her mother fought a brain tumor for seven years before succumbing just a week before rubyred660’s wedding day. A year or two later, she and her father both received precancerous diagnoses that required removal of their colons. After another couple years, she lost one ovary during the removal of a football-sized benign cyst. Unfortunately, it recurred a month later, and her remaining ovary was removed. As another kick in the teeth, the doctors discovered some ovarian cancer cells, which meant five months of preventative chemotherapy, which she has just completed. After subjecting her body to all that chemo, rubyred660’s prognosis is good and she’s doing well, but after all that trauma, she’s also learned to be cautious when thinking about the future.
Imagine if you had gone through all that in the past five years. No one -- certainly no 28 year-old-should have to endure such an unbelievable amount of pain, fear, and loss. So this year, I’m riding to honor her, and the tremendous spirit she’s shown in fighting such a terrible disease.
I’m once again asking you to help me do that. I hope you are in a position where you’re able to financially support this incredibly important cause this year. It means a huge amount to me, and to the researchers and doctors at the Dana-Farber.
My page on the PMC site is at:
http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?Section=story&eGiftID=OL0003
and you can go directly to the online donation form here:
https://www.pmc.org/egifts/MakeADonation.asp?eGiftID=OL0003
and you can always check out my cycling journal, ornoth_cycling, here:
http://ornoth_cycling.livejournal.com/