Marci D'Agostino
Marci is a senior studying Sociology at Towson University. In the summer of 2011 she is riding with a group of college students on a 70 day, 4000 mile bike ride from Baltimore to San Francisco. Money raised by our riders goes to support 4K for Cancer's mission of spreading awareness, fostering hope and uniting communities across the county in the fight against cancer. We do this through cancer education programs, health screenings and by visiting cancer patients at hospitals, cancer centers and hospices each day during the ride. 4K also gives financial support to local, cancer centric non-profits in the communities we bike through.
Cancer is such an ugly word. I even hate typing it and saying it out loud. It’s a word I have said so many times in my life but knew very little about. It’s a word I have unexpectedly become very familiar with during the past couple of weeks. When I heard about the 4k in September, I never had a close connection with the cancer community and I felt like one of the lucky ones. I’ve heard the stories and knew of neighbors and friends who have been diagnosed in the past but I could never comprehend what it would be like to have someone really close to me be diagnosed.
Unfortunately, I now know the feeling. This past October my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a surreal experience finding this out because as innocent as it sounds, I always thought my family would be one of the “lucky ones” who dodged this deadly disease. Now seeing firsthand how powerful this word really is, it’s heartbreaking and devastating. My motivation for doing the 4k is becoming stronger and stronger each day as I see the countless phone calls, doctor’s appointments and long days my mom has to endure in order to get the best treatment for the optimal outcome.
I will be riding 60 days and 4,000 miles in order to give hope to those who have been diagnosed and to help others avoid becoming a negative statistic. The 4k for me would be an opportunity to spread awareness of cancer by offering cancer screenings, visiting patients, and uniting communities by biking across the country with 35 other amazing individuals. This will not only be an unforgettable experience, but a personal and physical journey to push myself to unimaginable limits, just as my mom continues to do each day. In order to make this bike ride a success I hope you will donate whatever you can for the efforts of my journey - the Sydney Kimmel Research Center, the Baltimore Hope Lodge, and the many individuals I will soon be meeting during my journey.
This summer I’m riding for my mom, Kathryn - a soon to be breast cancer survivor, my friend’s grandmother who was recently diagnosed, and to support those who have fought, are fighting, or will fight the disease of cancer. Overall, I’m riding for hope that someday soon we find a cure. For me, crossing the finish line in August signifies my moms own achievement of beating breast cancer.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or, of course, words of encouragement!
Donations can be made by via this webpage using credit/debit card or by check, payable to '4K for Cancer', with my name in the memo line, & sent to the address below:
4K for Cancer
P.O. Box 4730
Baltimore, MD 21211
Thank you for your support!
Even a dollar goes a long way (4,000 miles to be exact)!
