Coming Down the Home Stretch for the Pan Mass Challenge:

Here's the latest of news as well as a clip of a prior post I made back in mid-June. I will follow this post up with a GREAT story that ran today in the Boston Globe and on Boston.com -- a story on the PMC founder Billy Starr who recently appreared on "Outside the Lines" and on ESPN's First Take.

So, let's cut the the chase, as they say: I need everyone to STEP UP now. We've raised nearly $1,000 and my goal is to raise another $1,000+ in the next week. Please click on the headline above and donate $10, $20, $25 or whatever you can afford. It GOES DIRECTLY to cancer research at Dana Farber, via the JIMMY FUND. Aside from the V Fundation, it doesn't get any better than this charity for direct aid to cancer research. Please donate by clicking here: TERRY's PROFILE at the PMC ONLINE SITE.

Update on the bike: The good folks at International Bicycle Center stepped up in a big way and made it possible for me to afford a nice TREK 2.1 road bike. I stepped up the training and will continue to do so until the big race (Day Two for me) on Sunday. My support also goes out to John Caron, proud owner of Johnnie's on the Side, who is doing the full two-day event.

By the way - Johnnie's is slated for a GRAND Re-OPENING on or about September 1, 2009. It's BACK in FULL GEAR!! YAHHOOOO.

Now, one last item. In today's mail, a "Lance Armstrong" type yellow wrist band with the name of TONY SNOW was awaiting, courtesy of the good folks in DC that worked with Tony at The White House . In prior posts, I noted that my Davidson connection and basketball played a much stronger role than my political beliefs and actions when it came to my love and support for Tony and his family. It's a long story on how it all came about, but suffice to say, I connected and related to Mr Tony Snow - a lot and I love and support his wonderful college and its basketball team, the Davidson Wildcats.

So, Tony... I'll be thinking of you on some of the tougher stretches of the race, knowing how you - gracefully and inspirationally - met your (really big) challenges. God Bless Tony and God Bless America.

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Read on...

And...Thanks for all the kind emails, calls and notes of support, but, PLEASE get your donation(s) in today.

Every little bit counts. It doesn't have to be a lot of ca$h.

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As you know from a few prior posts, I am training to ride in the Pan Mass Challenge which benefits cancer research. Here is the official "about us" with regard to the good folks at the Pan Mass Challenge and Dana-Farber:

The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge raises money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through an annual bike-a-thon that crosses the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Since its founding in 1980, the PMC has successfully melded support from cyclists, volunteers, corporate sponsors and individual contributors. All are essential to the PMC's goal and model: to attain maximum fundraising efficiency while increasing its annual gift. Our hope and aspiration is to provide Dana-Farber's doctors and researchers the necessary resources to discover cures for all cancers.

I have been training by riding up and down the famed "Heartbreak Hill" of the Boston Marathon which is only a block or so from my joint in Newton Centre, Mass. Upon return from the NBA Finals, I will step it up a notch.

I am also looking to either rent or get a new bike which will make it possible to ride in a more competitive fashion. I am currently training on a very nice GIANT Cypress DX

But, I have been eye-balling the very nice Scott Speedster from my local bike shop, Farina's, already been the bike shop of choice for two new bikes for the Lyons-Martin family kids.

If anyone has any other suggestions or a way for me to rent or save some $$ or to raise some money, buy it, ride it for Pan Mass Challenge then auction or sell it off, I am all ears. Please send your suggestions.

If I'm halfway competitive in the one-day Pan Mass Challenge, I hope to enter the grueling two-day event in 2010, depending on the dates and the schedule of the 2010 Basketball World Championship in Istanbul. We'll worry about that another day.

Anyhow, please send your donation into the Pan Mass Challenge web site and see my page by clicking on the headline above.

For donation page, please check HERE:

For additional info see:

Terry Lyons will be riding vs Cancer in honor of the following people and groups:

Shelby Strother (former columnist and all-around GREAT GUY)

Chuck Daly

Jimmy V

Tony Snow (former White House press secretary)

Corky Meineke (former Detroit News NBA writer- and I will wear his last press pass from the Pistons '95-96 season)

Timothy F. Lyons, Jr. (I will carry his baby bracelet and his mass card)

Mary the wonderful 'kid' and the rallying point-person for everyone at Johnnie's on the Side

http://www.pmc.org/egifts/TL0089

Thanks for your consideration and a small donation,

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons

As this is my first attempt at a bike race, I am entering the Wellesley One-Day event:

This route began in 2007 to accommodate riders who could only ride on Sunday or those looking for a less grueling ride. The ride starts with, what seems like a 15 mile descent following the classic Wellesley to Bourne route. Then the route heads east through Walpole and onto the Sharon water stop where riders returning on the two day ride from Bourne are arriving at their second water stop. The ride then heads back to Babson College

This ride begins at 7:00 am and depending on pace and rest times, can last from 2.5 hours to 6 hours. Most riders arrive back at Babson College between 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.