astanley
En-Route
This weekend was the PMC, the yearly 200 mile cycling fundraiser I participate in for cancer research and treatment. The PMC benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund -- the Jimmy Fund administers a treatment center for pediatric cancer, and DFCI is 50/50 research and treatment, in partnership with all of Boston's teaching hospitals, and Harvard Medical School. 100% of the money raised last year ($33M) went to this program, with past years averaging in the 99% pass through. Every major Boston sports team fields a team (the Bruins and Red Sox being the biggest, the Pats and Celts a little smaller), as do all the big corporations -- investment firms, law firms, technology, you name it -- 6,000 people come out of the woodwork for this event.
The Massachusetts State Police fielded a team this year -- their first organized team year, I believe -- and as in many years, they also provide motorcycle escorts, lane closures, and other traffic control measures to help keep 6,000 cyclists safe. The MSP decided to bring one of their A*Star's out, landing at two different water stops and letting riders, volunteers, and Pedal Partners take photos with the bird.
Pedal Partners are children battling different forms of cancer, and patients at DFCI and the Jimmy Fund / Red Sox Clinic. At the lunch stop (69 miles in on day 1), and the 4th water stop (82 miles in on day 1), Pedal Partners gather to meet the cyclists who are riding in their name. During the year, these cyclists will go into the hospitals, meet the children and their families, and provide training updates and stories to help inspire the kids to fight through their illness. It's quite powerful to be drilling into these water stops and see 50-100 children, most visibly battling cancer, waving like little kids do, screaming and yelling the words "Thank you for riding!" at the tops of their lungs. That, in and of itself, is pretty emotional.
On Saturday, as I rolled into the 82 mile stop, a Pedal Partner was standing in front of his sign -- the PMC makes a sign for each Pedal Partner to line different parts of the route -- and was talking with his father and a cyclist. He was running around, giddy as can be. He was about 4, slightly toe-headed and wearing a t-shirt about 35 sizes too big for him.
I was slowing down and watching this child, and heard them talking about having his photo taken with the MSP A*Star. The cyclist asked, "Did you like sitting in the helicopter?"
The child responded "YES! When I beat this, I want to fly them!"
Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye around.
Best,
-Andrew
The Massachusetts State Police fielded a team this year -- their first organized team year, I believe -- and as in many years, they also provide motorcycle escorts, lane closures, and other traffic control measures to help keep 6,000 cyclists safe. The MSP decided to bring one of their A*Star's out, landing at two different water stops and letting riders, volunteers, and Pedal Partners take photos with the bird.
Pedal Partners are children battling different forms of cancer, and patients at DFCI and the Jimmy Fund / Red Sox Clinic. At the lunch stop (69 miles in on day 1), and the 4th water stop (82 miles in on day 1), Pedal Partners gather to meet the cyclists who are riding in their name. During the year, these cyclists will go into the hospitals, meet the children and their families, and provide training updates and stories to help inspire the kids to fight through their illness. It's quite powerful to be drilling into these water stops and see 50-100 children, most visibly battling cancer, waving like little kids do, screaming and yelling the words "Thank you for riding!" at the tops of their lungs. That, in and of itself, is pretty emotional.
On Saturday, as I rolled into the 82 mile stop, a Pedal Partner was standing in front of his sign -- the PMC makes a sign for each Pedal Partner to line different parts of the route -- and was talking with his father and a cyclist. He was running around, giddy as can be. He was about 4, slightly toe-headed and wearing a t-shirt about 35 sizes too big for him.
I was slowing down and watching this child, and heard them talking about having his photo taken with the MSP A*Star. The cyclist asked, "Did you like sitting in the helicopter?"
The child responded "YES! When I beat this, I want to fly them!"
Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye around.
Best,
-Andrew
