On Aug. 2 and 3, 34 residents from Jamaica Plain will participate in the 35th annual Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the largest single athletic fundraising event in the country. They will be among 5,800 cyclists who will ride with the collective goal of raising $40 million to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund.
During PMC weekend, individual cyclists unite to become one extended family. The camaraderie shared by thousands of cyclists, spectators and volunteers, is one reason cyclists from 36 states and five countries return to Massachusetts each August to participate in the PMC.
Cyclists range in age from 13 to 90. Some are seasoned tri-athletes while others are weekend warriors having trained for this event alone. Many participants ride in honor of a family member or friend lost to, or being treated for, cancer. All share a passion and desire to one day find a cure for the disease. The average cyclist trains for three months, solicits 40 sponsors, and raises more than $6,500. Doctors ride alongside their patients; grandparents ride with their grandchildren; and others show support from the sidelines in the form of donations and cheers. More than 300 riders are cancer survivors or current patients.
“The PMC is the gold standard of athletic fundraising events,” says Billy Starr, Pan-Mass Challenge founder and executive director. “PMCers are as committed to raising money for cancer research as they are to pedaling the miles.”
No other single athletic event raises or contributes more money to charity than the PMC. Since 1980, the PMC has raised more than $414 million. In 2013, the PMC was Dana-Farber’s largest single contributor and the event raises more than 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. More than 230,000 individual contributions were made to last year’s PMC fundraising campaign, allowing the PMC to contribute 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the Jimmy Fund.
The PMC is a fully supported bike-a-thon — with food and water stops, mechanical and medical assistance, luggage transportation, and lodging — that runs through 46 towns across Massachusetts. Cyclists choose from 12 routes of varying mileage designed to cater to all levels of cycling strength and time availability. There are six two-day routes that range from 132 to 190 miles and six one-day rides that range from 25 to 111 miles. In 2014, cyclists are required to raise between $500 and $4,300 to ride in the PMC. This commitment to the fundraising portion of the PMC is a testament to riders’ dedication to the cause and their belief in the PMC mission.
The PMC is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and the New Balance Foundation. To become a virtual rider, or make a financial contribution to a rider from your town, visit www.pmc.org, or call (800) WE-CYCLE. Connect with #PMC2014 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
###
eGiftID FirstName LastName City State
MA0164 Melanie Andrade Jamaica Plain MA
SB0355 Sue Berger Jamaica Plain MA
DB0343 Donna Berry Jamaica Plain MA
CB0077 Carson Biederman Jamaica Plain MA
AC0052 Alan Chebot Jamaica Plain MA
SC0249 Susan Cibulsky Jamaica Plain MA
NC0090 Nicole Curran Jamaica Plain MA
AD0159 Alexis Davis Jamaica Plain MA
CD0222 Chelsea Devlin Jamaica Plain MA
DD0216 Drew Devoogd Jamaica Plain MA
SF0123 Steven Fish Jamaica Plain MA
DF0093 David Fisher Jamaica Plain MA
AF0148 Annabelle Fulton Jamaica Plain MA
JF0043 Jennifer Fulton Jamaica Plain MA
WF0004 Will Fulton Jamaica Plain MA
JF0274 John Furtney Jamaica Plain MA
JH0327 John Hanifin Jamaica Plain MA
NH0038 Nancy Nee Hanifin Jamaica Plain MA
BH0028 Barry Hannon Jamaica Plain MA
AH0162 Aaron Honig Jamaica Plain MA
SJ0048 Silke Janz Jamaica Plain MA
KK0103 Kat Kennedy Jamaica Plain MA
ML0202 Megan Leo Jamaica Plain MA
RL0179 Richard Levine Jamaica Plain MA
BM0111 Bart Mitchell Jamaica Plain MA
LM0226 Lydia Mitchell Jamaica Plain MA
CP0124 Chuck Pratt Jamaica Plain MA
TS0232 Tyler Steffey Jamaica Plain MA
KT0095 Katy Trudeau Jamaica Plain MA
NV0021 Nicholas Vasquez Jamaica Plain MA
JW0302 Jodi Weiner Jamaica Plain MA
LW0119 Linda Weiner Jamaica Plain MA
MW0216 Michael Weiner Jamaica Plain MA
KW0158 Kathy Wittman Jamaica Plain MA
2014 Pan-Mass Challenge
Fact Sheet
About the PMC:
The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) is an annual bike-a-thon that today raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the world. The PMC was founded in 1980 by Billy Starr, who remains the event’s executive director, an annual cyclist, and a fundraiser. The PMC has since raised $414 million for adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) through the Jimmy Fund. In 2013, the PMC gave a record gift of $39 million. The PMC pioneered the $4 billion athletic fundraising industry and is today a model of fundraising efficiency. The event donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause. In 2013, the PMC generated more than 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue and was Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor. More than 230,000 individual contributions were made to last year’s event. In 2014, PMC cyclists will ride with the goal of raising $40 million for DFCI.
The Ride:
The Pan-Mass Challenge is a fully supported bike-a-thon — with food and water stops, mechanical and medical assistance, luggage transportation, and lodging — that runs through 46 towns across Massachusetts. More than 5,800 cyclists registered to ride in 2013. Cyclists choose from 12 routes of varying mileage designed to cater to all levels of cycling strength and fundraising ability. There are six two-day routes that range from 132 to 190 miles and six one-day rides that range from 25 to 110 miles. Cyclists are required to raise between $500 and $5,000 to ride in the PMC, depending on the chosen route.
When:
The 35th annual PMC is Aug. 2 and 3, 2014. The ride has three starting lines Sturbridge, Wellesley and Bourne, and five finish lines in Provincetown (2), Bourne, Wellesley and Foxboro.
Who:
Cyclists travel from 38 states and five countries to ride in the PMC. More than 300 riders are cancer survivors or current patients. Some PMC cyclists are weekend warriors, others are trained triathletes. Most PMC participants ride in honor of a family member or friend fighting the disease. Cyclists range in age from 13 to 90. The average PMC cyclist is 45 years old, trains for three months, solicits 40 sponsors, and raises more than $6,500. During PMC weekend and throughout the year, more than 3,000 volunteers donate their time, and 200 corporations provide more than $4 million in products and services each year. The PMC is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and New Balance.
YEARS RIDERS VOLUNTEERS DONATION
1980 - 1989 4,969 1,778 $3,665,800
1990 - 1999 16,668 11,921 $38,750,000
2000 - 2012 55,329 31,825 $332,584,200
2013 5,533 3,300 $39,000,000
34 Year Total 82,499 48,824 $414,000,000