Dave Aiello '89 wrote:

On October 9, I'm going to join the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope by participating in the Washington DC fundraising bike ride and I would appreciate your support. One hundred percent of the funds raised during the Tour of Hope ride will benefit cancer research through the Lance Armstrong Foundation. To learn more, visit www.tourofhope.org.

Riding in Memory of Peter Frank '92

Peter Frank, Dave Aiello, and Dieter Frank in May 2003.

I'm participating in the Tour of Hope this year to remember one of my closest friends, Peter Andreas Frank of the RPI Class of 1992. Peter died of brain cancer in August 2003 after a 10-year struggle with a series of brain tumors. He and his family fought this illness in a courageous and amazing manner, and I've been looking for a way to pay tribute to all of them on the first anniversary of Peter's death.

Peter participated in a clinical trial of the drug Gleevec, a drug that is normally prescribed for gastrointestinal tumors and leukemia, under the care of Dr. Roger Stupp of the University Hospital Multidisciplinary Oncology Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. He did this to prolong his life, improve his quality of life, and to help future brain cancer patients.

The Tour of Hope raises money for cancer clinical trials. So, I'm sure that Peter would support this program wholeheartedly.

Each rider must commit to raising a minimum of $500 for cancer research in order to participate in the Tour of Hope Washington, DC ride. I can't give that much myself this year. If you'd like to help me support cancer research, please click on the Help Dave ride the Tour of Hope button to make a tax deductible contribution with your credit card. The pledge you make is a fixed amount, and isn't based on how far I ride. If you have a loved one whose life has been affected by cancer, you can make your pledge in memory or in honor of that person.

If you need instructions on how to donate by check or you need an address for Peter Frank's family so that a memorial card can be sent to them, please email me at daiello@operationgadget.com.

Thanks for your help. I plan to talk about the Tour of Hope Washington, DC ride on my other website, Operation Gadget, a site that talks about the latest electronic gadgets and sports technology. So, I hope you'll come by and check out our progress.