This day has been marked on my calendar for a long time. February 8. Today is a good day, not a marker of badness, sadness, or loss, like so many memories attached to our calendars. It’s a day of hope.
We stayed up last night until midnight so it would be February 8 and we could be be among the first to register for @Pelotonia. Pretty much the entire corpus of my writing on Medium concerns Pelotonia, because it’s an engine of hope for me. It should be one for you, too. The quick and dirty on Pelotonia, I borrow from their site:
“Founded in 2008, Pelotonia is a grassroots movement with One Goal: End Cancer. Focused on a community of passionate fundraisers and centered around a three-day experience of cycling, entertainment, and volunteerism, Pelotonia has raised over $130 million for cancer research. Last year, 7,749 Riders from 40 states and 9 countries participated along with 2,616 Virtual Riders and 2,794 Volunteers.”
We were among those 7,749 riders last year, our second year as riders. In 2012, we were lucky enough to serve as lead site volunteers at my alma mater, Kenyon College, where the long distance riders spend the night. As a team, we’ve raised more than $36,000 in two years.
As a community, here’s what Pelotonia has accomplished thus far in terms of research funds raised to end cancer:
Every single cent, straight to funding cancer research at the James Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio.
That’s powerful. That’s beautiful. That’s strength in numbers.
It seems as though there isn’t much we as a country can agree on these days, and it saddens me to no end. We are all in this together; every moment blessed to be on this earth, we should fight our inevitable, eventual, individual end together.
Together, we find solutions. Together, we cure ills. Together, we will.
Let’s come together, and join us in this powerful movement to seek an end to cancer, a disease that does not discriminate between or among skin color, gender, nation of origin, or religion. Cancer doesn’t care. But we do.
Last weekend I ran into a local quasi-celebrity who has grown his family business into a remarkable presence. They are true craftsmen, and they are so generous with their time and profits, supporting the causes they hold dear. I admire their work, and their passion. I wish I had one iota of the creative talent they have.
I broached the topic of Pelotonia and our passion to end cancer, and the tenor of the conversation changed immediately. He knew it was a solicitation to join us and support our team, the MidnightTrainFromGeorgia. He said that cancer wasn’t personal to him, that their family had other priorities, and I get that…we all have to make choices, and resources and budgets are constrained. But nobody can hide from cancer. Their is no guarantee that your life choices will prevent you from a cancer diagnosis. Yes, you can make wise decisions, and reduce probabilities and likelihoods. And you should.
But nothing guarantees you against any or all cancers. It is many evils, takes many forms, and it plagues so many.
I’ve seen loss up close, family members taken by insidious, unstoppable cancer. I don’t have the mental energy to write their stories now, but you can see prior entries to learn more about them.
I wish, beg, pray, and plea that your family never knows this reality.
I only wish that my cousin and aunt were here to support the causes they were once able to support, the things about which they cared so passionately and deeply. They are only beloved memories, now, so I pick this fight against cancer in their honor.
And in honor of my much loved friends and teammates, who have so valiantly fought cancer, and who have also seen its fury and wrath affect their families and friends, I ride.
If you want to talk about the pain of loss due to cancer, or share your stories of victory, I would love to hear from you. If you are able to support our effort in any way, or can donate to our cause, please visit my profile on the Pelotonia site or contact me directly.
We are the greatest team ever. Join us.
