If you'd like to honor someone...

who has survived cancer, or honor the memory of someone who was less fortunate, please let us know the correct spelling of their name, and any pertinent information you'd like us to have when you make your donation (or at any time, really, even if you choose not to donate for any reason).

One thing that has become apparent during our previous fundraising efforts is that everyone knows a survivor or a victim. It's a powerful bond that we all share, which is usually why people are drawn to events like these, or feel compelled to work for a cause. It's part of our human nature to look for those ties that bind us together. We've heard so many names from so many people that it is difficult to keep track, and I fear over looking someone unless I have it recorded somewhere - and it's just too inappropriate to interrupt a private conversation with "hey - wait a second while I write this name down."

It's tricky to know whether or not you, as a friend, relative, neighbor or coworker wishes for us to acknowledge the names you've mentioned to us. I come from a very private family, and even within my own family, I'm not quite sure how to approach the subject. I've come to the conclusion that my own joy and sorrow is mine to do with as I like, and if I want to honor someone, I will.

So this year, I'm thinking we'll have a list posted on the blog, perhaps of just first names of those who wish to retain some privacy, of those whose honor we ride.

In addition, we might as well decorate our jersey's, in order to become something of a moving 'wall of honor' - if we write the names of those whom you wish to remember or honor on a ribbon, and then safety pin the ribbon to the back of our jersey's, then these very people can, in a way, ride along with us, and flutter in the wind. If you'd like, you could even designate their (or your) favorite color.

If anyone has any additional ideas, please let me know. I'm all ears, and open to new ideas. It's possible that we could incorporate photographs, although that becomes a real estate issue on the Jerseys - however, I would be more than happy to start a wall of honor here, and include a photograph if you'd like.

Let me just say this: the reason for honoring our survivors and remembering our lost loved ones is NOT to guilt people into donating money, but a way for us all to remember all the love and joy these people have shared with us, and to celebrate their lives. These ties that bind us are strong and many, even though most likely we never thought we'd all have this disease in common.

During the PMC, there are a great many of these types of displays. When you are on the bike, legs screaming, and struggling up a huge hill, all the pain is suddenly dissapated when you look at the back of the jersey in front of you and see on that total stranger the names of yet other total strangers, and realize that there are SO many people that we are riding for who have suffered much more than we ever will on a bike. Even if it's a 100-mile day. Or two of those days back to back. This incentive is one of the best feelings created by the PMC - there is a huge team of strangers who band together each somewhere to try and make a difference for people they don't even know - and those we are helping likely don't even know yet that will need our help. But someday, the survival rate if cancer will be so greatly improved that us strangers will have to find something else to do with our summer.

Until then, we ride. And ask for lots of help.

Want to support us?

For now, I'll post the link & instructions on how to support our ride online using the PMC's secure eGift method. In an effort to be more environmentally friendly this year, I would like to conduct as much fundraising as I can online - it'll cut down on paper and stamps. If this doesn't work out so hot, I'll revert to the original mailing of letters and forms with a SASE envelope. If you'd like to avoid that process too, please use the eGift option. If you donate online, I wont mail you anything other than a "thank you" card. Promise.

Go the PMC's website and click the eGift button on the upper left hand corner (or follow the link).

Select: "Sponsor one rider with one donation" (the first option)

click on "Select a person by eGift ID"

Enter our eGift ID: TI0007 (as in Team Iwamoto triple-0 7) & hit "search"


Or, follow this egift link.

Fun Facts about the PMC

Well, OK, maybe not FUN, but important facts.

• The PMC began in 1980, and since that time it has raised more than $200 Million for the Jimmy Fund
• Through the 1990s, the PMC contributed between 92 to 99 cents of rider-raised dollar
• The PMC attracted 5,100 cycling fundraisers from 36 states and 10 countries in 2007.
• There are now seven PMC routes which cover 360 miles of infrastructure and travel through 46 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The PMC also covers a fair number of hills.
• In 2007, the PMC raised $33 Million for the Jimmy Fun - more than twice the amount ever raised for charity by any other athletic fundraising event
• In 2007, 100% of rider-raised funds went directly to Dana-Farber, illustrating how lean-running the PMC is. More bang for your charity buck. No rider-raised dollars paid for the electricity to run the offices, or for ink or toner for the printers or copiers. No salaries are paid out of the funds we raise. No fuel for support vehicles. None of that icy hot I used so much of. No massages, food, water. Nothing. Nada. How?
• Presenting sponsors, Boston Red Sox Foundation, Overstock.com and Covidien, along with 200 other corporate sponsors, underwrite the cost of producing the event and provide in-kind contributions of goods and services. In addition, 2,500 volunteers work throughout the year and during PMC weekend, fulfilling many roles that are typically paid position

What is the PMC? (Part I)

For those of you who weren't subjected to my on-going ramblings regarding the PMC last year, I should explain what the PMC is, and why it is important to not only us, but to a great many people.

The PMC, or Pan-Mass Challenge is 2-day event in Massachusetts that raises money for the Jimmy Fund, which is the main fundraiser for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The Jimmy Fund was founded 58 years ago, and in that time, it has raised over $400 Million for research and in support for children and adults being treated at Dana-Farber.

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was founded in 1947 with a mission to provide expert, compassionate care to children and adults with cancer while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of cancer and related diseases.

We all know why cancer treatment and research is so important - I wish we didn't. We both know many people, either friends, or people within our own families, who have had their own battles with cancer. I'm sure that you also know some friends, neighbors, coworkers or family members that have faced the same diagnosis. Some that we know have beaten this disease and are currently in remission, and others have not been so lucky. We ride for those who are no longer with us, as well as for the people we know who are living proof that cancer need not be a death sentence.

The statistics of cancer are staggering: 1 out of every 2 American Men and 1 out of every 3 American Women will be afflicted with cancer in some organ in their body at some time in their lives. Look around you and do the math - even if you have thus far not known the horror of a cancer diagnosis, it's likely one day that you or someone you love will have to fight this disease. It affects us all in one way or another. I'm not trying to scare you - life is scary enough as it is, and there are very many worthy causes out there. But cancer has played a pivotal role in both of our lives so far, and we are hoping that one day this disease wont have the power to have that kind of impact.

Ken & I are young and healthy. We are physically able to ride our bikes, and we are very lucky to know many generous friends, neighbors, coworkers and especially family members who can see how important it is to help support the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. We are SO thankful for all the support and encouragement that we have received over the years, and we hope that we can continue to share our hope with you all.

Welcome to PMC 2008!

Well folks, hello again & Happy New Year. We received so much positive feedback regarding last year's PMC blog, that we are starting earlier this year (i.e., more than a few weeks before the actual event like we did last year).

We've just signed up for our third year of involvement with the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC). For PMC 2006, we participated in a one-day Sturbridge to Wellesley route (which was not well supported and was subsequently cancelled in later years). Last year, we did a 2-day, 192-mile route, from which we are still kind of recovering from - as you may recall, Karen suffered from a strained shoulder muscle (or something), which is still acting as if it's strained (hurray for Icy Hot!). For 2008, after discovering last year how much work it takes to train for and raise funds for the entire 2-day event, we've decided to back off for a year and return to the one-day event. We have some other stuff going on this year, and I don't think we have the time and resources to throw behind another 2-day event. Not right now.

If it sounds like we're making excuses, we are a little bit. We know how very important the PMC is, and feel bad not being able to go all-out every year. But instead of getting burned out, we've decided to just back off a little bit. I'd rather remain involved every year at SOME level than participate sporadically. We are very committed to the Pan Mass Challenge and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and the PMC is the highlight of our summer. You'll never ride with a better group of people, or for a better cause.

Not that this year will be easy. As the fundraising minimums increase, even the shorter one-day routes require a significant amount of work to reach our fundraising goals. We have set Team Iwamoto's 2008 PMC fundraising goal at $3,000, although the minimum required donation for both of us is $2,600. Last year, we ended up donating $3,500 to ourselves in order to reach the minimum donation level - and we simply can't afford to make that large of a donation as well as spending all of our time training each year. I wish we could. If we could, we would.

So. It's now January. PMC weekend this year is August 2-3. We'll be doing a one day loop from Wellesley to Wellesley. We've just paid our $170 a piece to register. There is snow on the ground, and we've recently taken up cross country skiing. After all the eating & carrying on that is associated with the holiday season, it's good to be thinking ahead to the summer, and our cycling goals. There are several century rides in our area that we are looking into doing in addition to the PMC, and we hope to break our 2006 mileage total of 1,200 miles. Karen even went for a rare winter bike ride last week (a first while living in New England).

2008 is off to a good start. We've made our comittment early, and we've been active. Physically, this year's PMC shouldn't be too challenging, physically, although we may try to do the whole thing round trip from our house, which would work out to be slightly more than a century (100 miles) total for our PMC ride. AND riding directly from our house would be a much more green option - no driving to and from the start/finish line.

Stay tuned. I'll be back with fundraising links, training updates, route links, and other assorted PMC & biking related tidbits. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you & yours have a happy, healthy and peaceful 2008.