On September 21, for the fourth year, I will ride 125 miles from Boston to Provincetown with the Harbor to the Bay AIDS ride. This benefits four local AIDS organizations, most of whom saw their funding cut last year. The programs were, bizarrely, too effective; the government decided to divert money from Massachusetts to provide funding to states who were struggling. So these organizations need your help more than ever.
This year, I am not fundraising for myself. I am fortunate enough to be sponsored by the State Street Bank team so I can ride as a guide for Bobby Mac. Bobby runs my weekly group ride and has trained hundreds, if not thousands, of charity riders for this ride, the PMC, the Seacoast Safari, MS, and other events. He is also legally blind due to macular degeneration. Bobby and I are a great team, completing several sub-six centuries this year, and I'm thrilled and honored to be his eyes on this ride. Please support us by donating here.
On October 13 I will participate in The Dempsey Challenge, a 100-mile ride starting and ending in Lewiston, ME to raise money for the Patrick Dempsey Cancer Center. I'm riding in memory of my aunt Jackie, a heart-transplant survivor who passed away from cancer this past April. Last year, I did this ride in her honor and it was a tough day. It was 45 degrees and raining steadily at the starting line, and the weather didn't improve much. I toyed with backing out, but I'd committed to Jackie. The spectators were amazing--picture small children in head-to-toe rain gear, standing by the side of the road clutching cardboard signs reading "GO DADDY GO"--but even beyond that I was heartened by Jackie's frequent text messages, encouraging me to keep going, enjoy the chicken broth at the pit stops, think about how well I was doing. It was like she was there with me. She was an incredibly courageous person and I miss her. To support me on the Dempsey ride, please click here.
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