COMMUNITY
Cycling for a cause: Albuquerque man bikes to honor cancer loss
Jason Yarrington returns to the Pan Mass Challenge to honor his wife's uncle, Mark Deck, who died of pancreatic cancer in November
For eight years, Jason Yarrington and Mark Deck biked side by side, raising money for cancer research.
This year, Yarrington will be riding without Deck, who died of pancreatic cancer in November.
The Albuquerque cyclist is a participant in this year鈥檚 Massachusetts-based bike-a-thon, the Pan-Mass Challenge.
鈥淵ou can't bring up cancer without having someone tell you that they have lost or know someone struggling with cancer; it just touches our lives,鈥� Yarrington said. 鈥淵ou come together for an event like this, and you're like, 鈥極h, this is a shared experience.鈥� It feels really affirming.鈥�
The two-day event raises funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a world leader in adult and pediatric cancer treatment and research. Participants fundraise by biking on routes ranging from 25 to 187 miles.
Billy Starr, the founder and chairman of the PMC, said the event鈥檚 goal is to raise $79 million this year. Since 1980, the PMC has raised $1.1 billion for Dana-Farber.
Yarrington has raised $44,506 himself.
鈥淲ith cancer incidences on the rise and federal funding decreasing, the need for sustained private funding, like the PMC, is greater than ever before,鈥� Starr said.
Yarrington started his PMC journey in 2009 as a wedding gift for his brother-in-law, celebrating his recovery from cancer.
In 2010, inspired by Yarrington's first ride, Deck, Yarrington's wife's uncle, joined him in the PMC.
Deck went on to ride the PMC a total of 12 times, even returning to the PMC after a freak bike accident that caused a spinal cord injury, riding on a recumbent mountain bike.
Yarrington described one time he and Deck were biking the PMC together.
鈥淥ne year we overslept; you are supposed to get up at 4:30 in the morning when it's not too hot. We had to rush to get going, and like the whole time, he's just fine, he's like, 鈥榳hoops.鈥� We just ended up having the greatest day,鈥� he said.
He is one of 6,500 cyclists and more than 3,500 volunteers participating.
鈥淲hen people get cancer, and they get really sick, they struggle with all the feelings of like, 鈥榃hy did this happen to me?鈥� They struggle with isolation and depression,鈥� Yarrington said. 鈥淎nd when you all come together for a big event like this, you have an incredible realization that you are not alone.鈥�
The PMC is scheduled for Aug. 1-2.
鈥淚t becomes the best weekend of the year for me because it reminds me that so many other families have lost people to cancer,鈥� Yarrington said.
This year, Yarrington, alongside Decks' children, Wilbur and Heidi Deck, will start their PMC journey a day early.
鈥淲e're riding to the place where we had the funeral for Mark,鈥� Yarrington said. 鈥淚t really kind of honors Mark. Mark was the person who tried to find meaning in everything.鈥�
For more information on Yarrington鈥檚 ride, check out his PMC rider profile at .
Isabella Campbell is an intern with the New Mexico Local 近距离内射合集 Fellowships and Internships Program, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across New Mexico. Learn more at. She can be reached at icampbell@abqjournal.com.
