This summer, my father and I will ride in our Seventh consecutive Pan-Mass Challenge together. Last year was our first Pan Mass Unpaved, and it was a blast. This is a one-day event in the Berkshires. Because of the arrival of my daughter Oona this summer we were unable to participate in the two-day ride to the cape. While we look forward to a time when we can return to the traditional group ride across Massachusetts, we are excited to participate in another Unpaved ride with our growing family cheering us on.

Riding in the PMC has always been personal for me; eight years ago, when Dad told me he had prostate cancer, it felt like being punched in the gut. If detected early and appropriately treated, prostate cancer has a very high survival rate, but I was still pretty nervous. A PSA test (don’t forget about yours!) and operation has allowed my dad to continue living the active life he always has. We ride in the PMC to celebrate my father’s successful treatment but also in memory of my grandfather and namesake, Francis Arthur Mulhern, who died from pancreatic cancer five months before I was born. I would have loved the opportunity to meet him, and I’m sure he would have loved the chance to meet his grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Research and treatment have come so far since my grandfather died, but I still have a long way to go, which is why I keep riding and why I ask for your support.

The 2023 PMC raised 73 million dollars. Within the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the top five areas the money was allocated to were Pediatric Oncology, Longwood Center Research Labs, Hematologic Oncology, Precision Cancer Medicine and Gastrointestinal Oncology. Remember that every dollar riders raise goes directly to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Your donation makes a difference!