Pete had a vision for this fundraiser last summer when he was in the thick of his cancer treatment. One of the things that helped him through was knowing he wanted to help people by spreading the word on the importance of screening. This is his story. Pete has always been big on maintenance checks. Always keeping on top of maintenance appointments for our house, our cars and our health. So when the guidelines changed to get a colonoscopy at 45 years old he made an appointment right away figuring he wouldn’t have to worry about it for another 10 years. Thank God that he did. Doctors found a 3 cm tumor in his upper colon. We spent the week in denial. Going over every possible symptom and disbelieving that this could actually be happening. When the pathology came back confirming the diagnosis, Pete sprang into action. His career as a medical device rep afforded him personal relationships with incredible physicians. He texted Dr. Todd Francone, Colon-Rectal Surgeon at Newton Wellesley Hospital, who went out of his way to reassure him that “we got this” and got him into surgery within 3 weeks of his diagnosis. On June 7, 2024 he had 9 cm of his colon removed. Recovery was rough but the harder part was still to come. He was classified as Stage 3 which meant 3 months of high dose chemotherapy. The side effects were at times overwhelming and debilitating and things were tough for those months. But he pushed through. No matter how bad he was feeling we would always do our nightly walks. He always maintained a great attitude and laughed and smiled through the fear and frustration of what was happening. Chemo finished at the end of September and after some repeat scans of “questionable” nodules and bloodwork he was officially declared cancer free in January 2025. There was an enormous sense of relief but a realistic view of life going forward. There would be scans, colonoscopies and 3 month bloodwork appointments for years to come. During this whole “journey” Pete felt like he was finding his purpose in life. He wants to tell his story in hopes of spreading awareness for colon cancer and the importance of getting screened. Screening could save someone else’s life the way it had saved his. That brings us to throwing this party. It’s part celebration, part fundraising and all about spreading the word of the importance of getting a colonoscopy. Please donate what you can and come and celebrate with us.