Fenway Park was about much more than the Red Sox, Fenway Franks and the Green Monster on Saturday, June 18. Before cheering on the Sox as they took on the Milwaukee Brewers, the fans paid tribute to an extraordinary group of 32 Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) bike riders. In an inspiring pre-game ceremony, the riders rode around Fenway’s warning track to honor their involvement in the PMC.
PMC Day at Fenway Park celebrated the 32nd
annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge and the Red Sox Foundation’s ninth year as the event’s presenting sponsor. All 32 riders were cancer survivors, including two Westborough residents: 8-year old Kayleigh McCabe and Michael Bloch.
McCabe, wearing her mother’s 2010 PMC jersey, told Westborough Patch, "I’m excited to ride my bike with other cancer survivors around Fenway and having my best friend there to watch!"
Several years ago, Kayleigh was diagnosed with stage 3 Hepatoblastoma, a form of liver cancer. After enduring eight months of an aggressive chemo protocol and a life saving liver transplant, Kayleigh has been in remission for 3 years.
“Kayleigh is living proof of how the Jimmy Fund benefits from the fund raising,” Kayleigh’s mom, Corinne, said.
Kayleigh and her brother, Michael, have both participated in PMC Kids Ride and have successfully coordinated the Kids Ride in Westborough.
Corinne said,“Kayleigh loves soccer, basketball, arts and crafts, Justin Bieber and the outdoors. She is your typical eight-year-old with an incredible life story.”
Corinne, who will be riding in her third PMC this August, has set a fundraising goal of $6,300. Kayleigh has raised over $5,500 this year. “I like helping kids and hoping that kids will survive cancer, like me," Kayleigh said.
Bloch was diagnosed with colon cancer in November 2006 at the age of 45 with three young children at home. He had an operation called a colectomy and told Westborough Patch, “At the end of the day, I was just one of the lucky ones. I was lucky we found the tumor early, and I was lucky that the cancer was confined to one area.”
Bloch, who owns a video marketing and communications company, added, “I had not ridden a bike in 30 years. Six months after my surgery, I took my son's bike out for a ride. I then bought a decent road bike and set my sights on riding in the PMC.”
Bloch, who will be making his third PMC ride this August, has earned "Heavy Hitter" status in the past and this year has raised $4,000 towards his goal of $10,000.
“My motivation is to raise money to find a cure for cancer and to keep in shape. During the ride, the people who line the street generate so much energy that it gets me really pumped up,” said Bloch.
Bloch urges readers to undergo a colonoscopy. “Colon cancer is one of the most common and curable forms of cancer. This simple procedure can easily save your life.”
PMC is a pioneer of the athletic fundraising industry and will be held on August 6 and 7 from Sturbridge and Wellesley to Provincetown.