Why I Ride #PMC2017

Veda Cobb-Stevens might have was a brilliant philosophy professor at the University of Lowell in her mid-30s, when my dad first introduced me to her at age 8 or 9. Not long after we met, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
I was pretty young and didn’t really understand what it meant. I just knew she was sick. She started getting treatment, and I remember learning her hair would fall out and she’d have to wear a wig. I could tell she wasn’t happy about it.
It’s strange, the things we remember; I can still clearly see that wig, hanging on it’s styrofoam mannequin head next to the sink in her bathroom. I really don’t know how my life might have been different, had we not lost Veda. I do know that was the first time cancer took the life of someone I loved.
David Prifti was the first teacher I ever encountered who spoke to me like a grownup. As a result I listened to (almost) everything he said, and he was the adult I trusted when I didn’t feel like I could talk to my parents. He opened up my eyes to so many things — inspiring works of art, acts of social justice — and taught me how to use my camera to better understand and share my thoughts and ideas.

Pancreatic cancer brought his life to a pretty painful end. Far, far too soon. One of my biggest disappointments in life has been that he wasn’t able to see me clean up my act, and I’ve been unable to introduce him to my children.
Will Alicea is the first friend from school I lost to this damned disease. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been the only one. We lost touch after college; actually, we’d sort of left things on rough terms. Reconnected on social media, and ended up starting to talk on the phone pretty regularly. He was always a hustler, and was looking for help getting his ideas onto tee shirts, panties… all kinds of cool stuff. We put all the nonsense that had gone on back in college behind us.

He’d grown a lot, in his own words. His entire outlook on life had transformed. He was a happy dude, in love with his family and community — a man on a mission. Turns out we’d simultaneously fallen back in love with bikes, as grown men. Pedaling around had become a passion for both of us and we sent each other pictures from various spots when we rode. When Will was diagnosed with leukemia, the prognosis wasn’t good. He told me he’d look at the photos I sent him from 10,000’ ft., riding up on Vail Pass in Colorado, while he was getting treatment.
Unfortunately, I feel like everyone I meet, everywhere I go has memories to share of lost friends and mentors. Everyone has family members fighting every single day to be brave, and stay positive in the face of harsh treatments and grim diagnoses. I started riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge 4 years ago because I didn’t want to feel useless anymore. I couldn’t stand to just keep waiting around for science to find a cure. I’d never even heard of #PanMass until a friend reached out to me 6 or 7 years ago looking for a donation to fund his ride.

It’s a 200 mile bike-a-thon from Sturbridge to Provincetown, MA. I started supporting him annually; he told me I really needed to come back to Massachusetts and ride.
Physical exercise has always been one of my favorite ways to meditate on, and process things I struggle with. A 200 mile bike ride was right up my alley. I read up on the event, and learned that not only does every rider-raised dollar go directly to research and treatment — but the ride is the largest single source of funding for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The PMC provides over 50% of The Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.

I started riding in 2014, and when I hit my fundraising commitment this year I’ll have raised over $20,000 to fight cancer through The Jimmy Fund and the Boston Bruins Foundation. Our team is looking to raise over $300,000 this year.
We can’t do it without your help. Please consider donating: https://www.crowdrise.com/2017-boston-bruins-pmc-team/fundraiser/jamesblackwell
