Hi all - I know this is a long read but it is an important one. Honestly, not only for me, but for all humanity.

As I sit here and write this there are so many thoughts running through my head that I can’t possibly capture them all. Here are just some of them.

As most of you know two years ago I was diagnosed with cancer that was found in my head and neck. My father passed away from cancer, my mother passed away from cancer, and one of my grandmothers survived breast cancer TWICE. I hate to admit it, I knew the Big C would eventually come for me. With my family history and serving 24 years on active duty around the world as a helicopter pilot in the Army, inhaling who knows what, it finally came knocking.

For years, even before my diagnosis, I wanted to participate in this fundraiser but for various reasons I never did. Once I was diagnosed I thought I better get doing it, it’s important now. Well if you know me well you know I have a pretty big ethical streak running through me. I thought it would be rather hypocritical of me to start participating now that I was diagnosed. As if it wasn’t just as important before. But like life does, it tosses something your way that changes your thinking or trajectory so here I am, peddling my tail off this year waiting money for the cure.

We are going to get the point later in this where I will ask you, almost plead with you, to donate to this cause. If you want to know what some of the things your hard earned dollars will go to fund, look at the list of innovations that have come from Roswell Park. Men, have you ever heard of the PSA test? It was invented at Roswell Park. Check out this webpage to see what other ground breaking discoveries and breakthroughs have become important milestones in the fight against cancer that took place right at this hospital - https://www.roswellpark.org/commercialization/history-innovation.

So PLEASE consider donating to my fundraising effort. Your donations go straight to Roswell Park to fund their vital work. I will be honest with all of you. Very selfishly I want to be able to ring the bell that is in the lobby of Roswell Park signifying that I am cancer free. But don’t donate for me [CUE MY TEARS]. Donate for my two wonderful daughters. Donate for my unborn grandchildren. Hell, donate for YOUR children and grandchildren. Donate for the hundreds of thousands, probably millions of children and grandchildren around the world, that want nothing more than to have a little more time with their loved ones and the possibility of never having to go through this themselves. It can be done!

I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart, and so do those cute little grandkids I haven’t met yet but already love.

Cancer doesn’t care. It doesn’t care about age. It doesn’t care about your family or friends. It doesn’t care about what it takes from us — or who it leaves behind.