I also had a couple of inserts.
This one was about the Pan Mass Challenge that Kristen and Toby worked at over the weekend.
This picture goes with the newspaper article below.
SPRINGFIELD — Ryan Mahan is preparing to bicycle 190 miles in the 34th annual Pan-Mass Challenge, a two-day fundraising event on Aug. 3 and 4 to benefit the Dana Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund.
Mahan is riding in honor of his father, Tom, a multiple myeloma survivor.
Mahan will be among 5,500 cyclists riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge, the nation’s first charity bike-a-thon, which raises more money than any other athletic event in the country.
“I looked into it when I was still in high school, but because of the fundraising, I wasn’t able to do it,” Mahan said. “But now I have a lot more motivation with my father being diagnosed.”
Mahan works with his father at Harry Grodsky & Co. Three years ago, a handful of employees got together to form a team for the Pan-Mass Challenge.
“We started at 10 riders, and this year, we’re at just over 20,” Mahan said. “Our first year, we raised over $120,000 as a team of 10, and our two-year total was over $250,000. This year, we’re on par to raise another $150,000.”
Tom Mahan is a patient at Dana-Farber, and Ryan Mahan said the funds he raises through the challenge can be restricted specifically for multiple myeloma research. Mahan needs to raise $4,300 to participate in the ride.
“It’s challenging,” he said of the fundraising. “Being our third year, we have to get more and more creative in reaching out for donations, because getting $20 or $30 from friends is harder.”
Mahan said his girlfriend is hosting a fundraising barbecue for him, and they plan to reach out to area grocery stores for donations.
After training all spring and summer, Mahan said he looks forward to seeing everyone supporting the riders along the route.
“I bring a camera and take pictures to slow people – it’s unbelievable,” he said, of the crowds lining the roads. “It’s amazing that over almost 200 miles, there’s almost a person within eyesight all the time.”
Mahan said his father is doing well after a stem cell transplant last winter and may attempt to ride the challenge on the first day of the event.
“It’s all thanks to Dana-Farber,” he said.
Billy Starr, founder and executive director of the event, said he never could have imagined what the challenge has become, 34 years after he created it in honor of two of his family members lost to cancer.
“I wasn’t a philanthropist, but I did believe this could attract dynamic individuals,” Starr said. “I got to do work that was meaningful to me, and built it into a signature business that is the largest event of its kind.”
Starr said with 12 routes, riders can choose their distance and their fundraising minimum. He said the fundraising is doable.
“It’s quite attainable if you make this a priority,” Starr said. “People tend to be very supportive. It’s 100 percent pass-through, and that makes it quite compelling for both the rider and the donor.”
Mahan will ride the full 190-mile route from Sturbridge to Provincetown. There are six two-day routes that range from 153 to 190 miles, and five one-day rides that range from 25 to 110 miles. Cyclists are required to raise between $500 and $4,300 to ride in the PMC.
Last year alone, the challenge raised $37 million, accounting for more than 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. One hundred percent of funds raised by riders go to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.
I also had another insert with a funny story about Mark's lost cell phone.
(Cont'd)
We called Janelle's phone and let Mark know where his phone was. They had gone back to the Kittery Trading Post to look for the phone but, of course, it wasn't there. We called Joan back the next morning and made plans to meet up with them to get the phone. We thanked her very much for making the effort to find out whose phone they ended up with!
After we got the phone, we went to the new Lenny & Joe’s that had just opened in New Haven right on the harbor that Joan had told us about. We were a little leery because we had given up on the Lenny & Joe’s in Madison, CT near Hammonasset. We just didn’t like their scallops: they were tough. We decided to give it one more try and were so glad we did. The food was delicious. We both loved it and the scenery was wonderful. So…… it turned out to be a good day!
So, there you have it. Project Life, Week 31.
1 comment:
GREAT family pictures Deb. Your Blogs are always very interesting. What an amazing story about Mark's phone. He was here at Tim's Thurs. but never mentioned anything about it. We all sat by the pool for awhile watching Mason in his new life vest. At one point I said," This is a riot...Mark iss sitting at the shallow end and Mason is swimming aound at the deep end". Marley's peach pie looked DELICIOUS.
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