My husband and I often say, you don’t have anything if you don’t have your health and the older I get the more I realize how important our health is.  Unfortunately, no matter how healthy of a lifestyle you live, cancer does not discriminate.  Like many of you, the gut-wrenching “cancer” diagnosis has impacted my family.  Watching a loved-one slowly deteriorate while knowing it’s only a matter of time is so very hard and even though you should be prepared, you never really are. 

My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer the year I got married, several months before my wedding in 2016.  Thankfully, it was detected early enough.  He had surgery to remove the cancer, resulting in him being able to walk me down the aisle and his PSA levels have been undetected for the last 7 years.  My grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012, at the age of 74, and sadly her outcome was not as positive; this aggressive form of cancer took her from us in November of that year.  I also had three uncles whose lives were claimed by cancer – Uncle Hector (age 39) died from lung cancer in December 2006.  Uncle Sergio (age 69) died from kidney cancer in December 2021, exactly 15 years to the date from when his younger brother Hector passed.  Uncle Angelo (age 78) died in April 2022 also from cancer.  This year I’m riding for my loved ones who have had to fight the battle. 

In addition, I am riding for those who will, unfortunately, at some point receive the scary diagnosis.  I’m riding to support research and development so that those future fighters are able to come out with a clean bill of health.  I’m also riding for the families who will have to be strong as they watch their loved ones fight the battle. 

Please help me raise critically needed funds to support the thousands of patients who will turn to Roswell Park each year.  Your donation provides funding researchers need right now to investigate new treatement options that could save lives.  For every dollar donated, Roswell Park can leverage an additional $13 in new grant funding.

Thank you for supporting my first Ride for Roswell, it won't be my last!  Any amount will help the cause.  TOGETHER, we can end cancer!