Canton family rides for Erica’s Entourage

On Saturday, August 3, Canton residents John, Mary and Rachel Shapiro will ride up to 190 miles in the Pan-Mass Challenge as part of Team Erica’s Entourage. The Shapiros will be among 100 cyclists whose goal is to pedal to raise $1 million for the Erica Kaitz LMS Research NOW Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Last summer, Kaitz, 52, a longtime PMC rider, volunteer and event planner, was diagnosed with a cancer so rare that fewer than 150 people in the country have it. Myxoid leiomysarcoma (LMS) is an “orphan cancer,” meaning that it is so rare that it is not considered commercially viable to develop drugs to treat it.

While it’s simple supply-demand economics, it is not so simple for Erica and Rick Kaitz and their two young adult daughters who are currently relying on unknown and untested treatments to keep Erica alive.

The money raised by the Shapiros and other members of Team Erica’s Entourage will fund the research of a team led by Dr. George Demetri, senior vice president for experimental therapeutics at Dana-Farber. Demetri was instrumental in demonstrating that Gleevec — one of the first examples of targeted cancer therapies — was effective in treating gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a form of sarcoma. His work has led to the FDA approval of several other “smart drugs” for cancer.

Dr. Demetri is among the most respected doctors working on LMS today. He has assembled a world-class collaborative team to “stand up to LMS,” including Dr. Jonathan Fletcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dr. Matt van de Rijn at Stanford University.

Since the early 1990s, Erica and Rick have ridden in or volunteered for the Pan-Mass Challenge. For much of that time, Erica has been on the PMC’s head staff, orchestrating events, running the PMC Kids Rides Program, and heading up the Provincetown finish line team. Rick has ridden in the event for each of the past 21 years. For the past 10 years, the couple has financially supported Dana-Farber’s Zakim Center for Integrative Medicine.

The irony does not escape them, yet like all who are familiar with it, they consider cancer to be the ultimate equalizer. Neither means nor knowledge precludes anyone from being its next victim.

Team Erica’s Entourage is currently more than halfway to its fundraising goal, with a total of $620,335 raised as of Sunday, July 28.

As for Canton’s Shapiro family, John, Mary, and Rachel have collectively raised almost $13,000 to put towards the Erica Kaitz LMS Research NOW Fund. All three are veteran PMC riders, with more than 40 rides between them since 1998.

In addition to the Shapiros, 24 other Canton residents have signed up to participate in this year’s Pan-Mass Challenge, which donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund.

Now in its 34^th year, the PMC is a fully supported bike-a-thon — with food and water stops, mechanical and medical assistance, luggage transportation, and lodging — that runs through 46 towns across Massachusetts. Cyclists choose from 11 routes of varying mileage designed to cater to all levels of cycling strength and time availability. There are six two-day routes that range from 153 to 190 miles and five one-day rides that range from 25 to 110 miles.

In 2013, cyclists are required to raise between $500 and $4,300 to ride in the PMC, with the collective goal of raising $38 million to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research through the Jimmy Fund.

“It’s a powerful and emotional weekend for everyone involved,” said Billy Starr, Pan-Mass Challenge founder and executive director. “From the cyclists, to volunteers, staff and family and friends along the route, the PMC unifies 10,000 people for one weekend to make a difference and raise funds to eradicate cancer.”

Since 1980, the PMC has raised $375 million for cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber. In 2012, the PMC raised $37 million, accounting for more than 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.

More than 5,500 cyclists are expected to participate in this year’s PMC, including Canton residents Arthur Anastos, Linda Antonucci, Kerry Burke, Gerry Castignetti, John Cloherty, Bridget, Ralph and Thomas Darling, Colleen Healey, Ann and John Hession, Nancy King, Karim Malek, Michael McEachern, Keith Merlin, Shamus Mulhall, Julie Mulkerrin, Mark Nalbandian, Annie Peters, Russell Polsgrove, Richard Powers, Joseph Roach, James Scott, and Charuda Upatham-Costello.

The PMC is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and the New Balance Foundation. To become a virtual rider or to make a financial contribution to a rider from your town, visit www.pmc.org or call 1-800-WE-CYCLE. Checks can be made payable to PMC, 77 Fourth Ave., Needham, MA 02494.

To donate to Team Erica’s Entourage, go to www.ericasjourney.com and click on “Erica’s Entourage PMC Team.”

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Aug 1 2013. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.