Thanks to everyone who made the 2009 PMC such a special weekend
But our work is not done. We still have a ways to go to reach the fundraising goals and to reach the ultimate goal – defeating cancer.
The ride was great and I will have some fun stories and photos to share in the coming days. But I want to thank everyone who sent along well wishes and for all the support, both financial and emotional, that I have received from my family, friends, and colleagues in the past days and weeks. It truly is a humbling experience.
This Friday, July 24th, is the 13th anniversary of my last and final radiation treatment at the Univeristy of Rochester Cancer Center. I hope that you will help me celebrate this occasion by making a donation to my PMC ride in honor of this anniversary. You can do so in multiples of 13! You know – 13, 26, 52, … maybe 192! Hey, like 192 miles (the distance from Sturbridge to Bourne!). Thanks so much!
I am ready to roll from Sturbridge. I will be in Vermont for the rest of this week and will be riding most mornings, hitting the hills around the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont. I am confident that my third PMC will go just as well as the first two, with a little less saddle-soreness (new word!) because I’ll be a little bit quicker on the road!
Thank you for playing in the 2009 Kickin' Cancer Soccer Tournament.
The first Kickin’ Cancer Soccer Tournament is in the books and I am proud to announce the champion: Orange Talent. It was a great day of soccer and fundraising for the Jimmy Fund. I would like to thank all 134 players, their friends and family who came by to watch, the sponsors, my family, and the Amesbury Sports Park staff for making the entire day one that I will never forget.
If you would like to check out the photos from the day, please visit this site. Photos are available for purchase with the proceeds going to the Pan-Mass Challenge and the Jimmy Fund. Shortly, I will post some of my favorite pics from the weekend for everyone to see.
Orange Talent, 2009 Champs
Orange Talent won Division A and defeated the 2nd seed from Division B, C and J Team in the semifinals. Then they faced off, in their 6th match of the day, against the Boston Breakers, a team representing the front office staff of the WPS team, which had won Division B. Orange Talent showed their pace and skill in the final, scoring on the counterattack a couple of times, and delivering a well-deserved trophy to their case.
I spoke with many players and friends during the day. I tried to thank everyone personally for coming and participating. My favorite part of the day was at 10:15 AM, as I was starting to stretch out for my first game, standing on the deck, being able to see all 4 games, realizing that my dream of hosting this event had finally become reality.
Orange Talent captain Gino accepts the Kickin' Cancer championship trophy
But now that the trophy has been passed to our first champion, the job is not done. We still need to focus on the goal – making cancer history. If you would like to make a donation to my PMC efforts, you can do so on my PMC Page.
This Sunday, I (with the help of my family) will be hosting the 1st ever Kickin’ Cancer Soccer Tournament. There will be 13 teams. Why 13? Because it has been 13 years since I was diagnosed and treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which started my personal battle against cancer, not just in my body, but for everyone. My family and I are so thankful for the tremendous turnout and are looking forward to sharing a great day with all of the players! Friends and family are also invited to attend the tournament and partake in the post-tourney party.
Here are the details:
1st Annual Kicking Cancer Soccer Tournament
When: July 19, 2009. First Game at 10 AM
Where: Amesbury Sports Park (12 South Hunt Road, Amesbury, MA) directions
To benefit: my 2009 Pan-Mass Challenge Ride for the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Food buffet and Harpoon beer cash bar available starting at 2:30 PM. Non-players may purchase a buffet ticket for $12. Championship Match starts at 3:45 PM and the Awards Ceremony, Raffle, and Silent auction will happen during the party around 4:30 PM.
As promised, here are the photos and videos from my ride this past weekend.
On Saturday, July 11, it was the annual PMC Night at Fenway Park. The Sox beat the Royals 15-9, adding to the winning tradition on PMC Night (Sox are now 6-0). Prior to the game, I had the honor, along with 29 other cancer survivors to ride their bikes on the field for the National Anthem and First Pitch Ceremonies.
Video #1: Riding out onto the Fenway Park warning track
During this video, the 30 cyclists rode from the center field tunnel, in front of the Green Monster, and down the third base line. Sorry for the choppiness, I have never ridden my bike and tried to record video before.
Video #2: On the field for the National Anthem
Video #3: Riding off the field
During this video, we are riding back to the centerfield tunnel after the ceremony and the anthem. Sorry for the choppiness -first time ever doing this!
To be part of the 30th Pan-Mass Challenge and be one of the survivors allowed to be part of this celebration is a great blessing and honor. I hope that you will join me in trying to provide research and treatment dollars so that others can have this thrill in the years to come.
It was truly an amazing honor. I did not tell anyone about this ahead of time other than my wife. As part of the annual PMC Night at Fenway Park, I got to ride my bike on the field as part of the pre-game festivities. I was one of the 30 survivors who took the magical ride out of the center field wall, in front of the Green Monster, and down the 3rd base line. I got to stand in front of the Royals dugout during the National Anthem and the first pitches, which were thrown by Billy Starr, PMC Founder, a 30-year rider, and a 30-year volunteer. Keep in mind, this is the 30th Pan-Mass Challenge, these three guys have been involved since the beginning. It was all just kind of amazing and surreal.
You can see me at 2 minutes, 8 seconds. I am wearing a 2007 PMC jersey and I am turning towards the right center field seats where Michele and the rest of our group were sitting. Basically, you get a quick look at the back of my head.
I took video and photos of the evening. I will post them later.
Here is a photo of the group of great people who came to my 2009 Supporters Thank You and Fundraising Party at Harpoon last Thursday, July 9th. There are a few photos, as we could not all get in the pic!
If you are coming to my annual Supporters Thank You and Fundraiser at Harpoon on Thursday, wanted to give you a couple of quick updates.
Due to the Tall Ships being in Boston Harbor, there is additional security in the Marine Industrial Park where Harpoon is located. If questioned, all you need to do is say that you are attending an event at Harpoon Brewery and you’ll be able to gain access to the park.
There will be a raffle drawing and a silent auction. The raffle will consist of items donated to the event by the Boston Celtics, Harpoon Brewery, and a few more special friends of mine. The silent auction will be for 2 tickets to see U2 at Gillette Stadium on September 21st! As if that wasn’t great enough, you will be invited to join our groups tailgate festivities pre-show!
If you want to come to the event and somehow Michele or I have not sent you the evite, please leave a comment and come on over. The party starts this Thursday, July 9th at 6 PM at Harpoon Brewery in Boston. If you have already donated – this is my way of saying thank you. If you have not donated, there is a recommended donation of $30.
