Kerry sends fundraising email for The Jimmy Fund

I have friends who are democrats and leading up to the 2004 presidential election they got more email from John Kerry than they did from their own families. While the subjects were always a different "hot" issue - the campaign always asked for money.

Today, my friend said he got yet another email from John Kerry. The e-mailed request bears the heading "Because I was lucky," but the real surprise was the subject of the note.

The former presidential candidate said, "help John Kerry support the Jimmy Fund." He writes that he'll be among the 200 or so riders who are cancer survivors. "At the fund-raising training sessions for the event, they tell you to e-mail your friends for their help. But I don't suppose they realized I had 3 million friends in my e-mail address book."

He told Bella English at the Boston Globe:

"It's a good feeling," said Kerry, 63, who spoke on his way to Belmont Wheelworks, the bike store he frequents. He needed a new wheel for his custom-built Serotta and had to get his bicycle cleats fixed before this weekend's Pan-Massachusetts Challenge. He'll join 4,300 other cyclists to benefit cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Kerry, an avid cyclist, has participated in the fund-raiser three times before, raising $12,475. He's also biked for cancer research in Iowa with Lance Armstrong, a two-time survivor, and wears on his left wrist the yellow rubber "Livestrong" bracelet worn by millions of Armstrong fans.

This year, for the first time, he sent a charitable pledge plea to his database of 3 million supporters. You can see the email here.

Or you can sponsor John Kerry at this website.