Fighting Cancer with the PMC’s Team Kermit

I founded the Pan-Mass Challenge’s Team Kermit with seven other close friends in 2005. That year we raised $56,000. In 2011 our team had 50 riders. This year we’ve raised $268,000. In six years we’ve raised approximately $USD1.2 million, 100% of which goes to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in the Jared P. Branfman Sunflowers for Life Fund.

Team Kermit 2011
Team Kermit 2011
Valentina Rosa, TRA360 founder and CEO, at the PMC Finish 2011
Valentina Rosa, TRA360 founder and CEO, at the PMC Finish 2011

 My five greatest memories in PMC 2011 were:

  1. Seeing my friend Tym Rourke speak at the Opening Ceremonies about his six-year-old son and our Pedal Partner Declan. What a story and what an incredibly wonderful boy. Look for Tym’s presentation in my previous PMC blog post.
  2. Seeing Lance Armstrong speak from 20 feet away at the Opening Ceremonies and lining up 8 feet from him at the start. Lance is much bigger than the bike and his aura radiates that. As he said in the Opening Ceremonies, “My job is to put myself out of business.”
  3. Riding alongside Alison Soule, one of my newest friends and fellow Kermit, 10 days removed from her most recent chemo treatment for breast cancer. Riding with Chris Smith, a first-time Kermit who is legally blind. Read more about Chris on the Dedham News Transcript website. Alison and Chris are inspirations to all of us.
  4. Receiving all the great cheers for Team Kermit from the thousands of spectators lining the course. Hearing the hoots, hollers, and cheers of “Go Kermits!” “Like the frogs!” and “Great caps!” kept us flying down the road.
  5. Meeting my first two fundraising milestones: $4,200 (two-day riding commitment) and $6,400 (Heavy Hitter). And, with my fundraising total now at $7,239, I’m 90% toward my overall goal of $8,000. I’m very confident that I’m going to reach and maybe even exceed my goal!