Committed

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Ten days from today, I will clip into my pedals in front of the Host Hotel in Sturbridge at 5am and begin my 9th PMC ride. The PMC (Pan Mass Challenge) is a two day, 192 mile bike ride that raises money for cancer research and treatment. My story as to how I ended up getting involved in the PMC hasn’t changed…I first signed up to do the ride in January of 2007 when I was heartbroken over the fact that one of my customers was fighting sarcoma. I didn’t own a bike at the time, didn’t know what clip-in pedals were, and wasn’t really looking forward to wearing bike shorts. None of that mattered to me though, because I could not tolerate just standing by and doing nothing. That first year, I rode with Eddie, who pretty much pulled me the entire way.

It’s pretty amazing to think back over the years and remember small moments from each ride. The year it was brutally hot and I had to coerce/bribe my friend to peel herself off the asphalt and motivate her to keep going. The year my team got a Pedal Partner. The year it poured rain. The year my oldest son joined me. The year four members of my family rode together. The year I couldn’t ride because I had surgery on my foot. The year I got ‘the blister to end all blisters’.

Nine years. Two bikes. Too many gadgets to count. A network of friends I never would have met if I didn’t do the PMC. A total of over $50,000 raised to date for Dana Farber, donations made by you.

My involvement with the PMC has shifted past riding & raising money, and now includes being able to give back through Bisousweet. We were lucky enough to be able to donate 600+ fortune cookies for this year’s Heavy Hitter Dinner. The inside of each fortune contained thank you notes & pictures made by children who are fighting cancer. Every single fortune cookie that we made felt like a treasure, and inspired me, broke me, and solidified my resolve to keep doing what I’ve been doing.

My story hasn’t changed, and it’s not even close to being over. I am committed to this cause in a way I don’t necessarily understand or question. It’s what I do. It’s who I am. It’s something we all need to fight together.

A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported me, emotionally & financially, over the years. None of this would be possible without your help and willingness to participate.

For more information about the PMC, please visit this page.

To make a donation to my ride, please click here.

I will decorate my shirt with the names of those who are either fighting the battle or who have lost their life to cancer. Please feel free to leave a name in the comment section and I will make sure they ride all 192 miles with me.

With gratitude –

xoxoxox

 

 

 

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Owner, Baker,
& Storyteller

You know that friend who has it all together? Yeah. That’s not me. What I can offer you instead are my experiences, insights, and passions. Pithy observations about making cookies. Wry commentary on running a business. Loving (if slightly sarcastic) parenting advice. And if that doesn’t interest you, I have dogs. Cute ones.

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