Pan Mass Challenge Raises 33 million!

As many of you know, I am a 17 year veteran of the PMC, The Pan Mass Challenge, an amazing charity ride that raises money for the Dana Farber Cancer Center. This past Thursday, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) announced that they raised a record-breaking $33 million for cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute though its August cycling event – $7 million more than the organization raised last year. The total sum, is more than twice the amount ever raised for charity by any other athletic fundraising event. It is the single largest contribution made to the Jimmy Fund. This year Ciclismo Classico sponsored a team, Team Gelato which raised 72K for the PMC. We also sponsored a sweet little 3 year old girl, Avalanna, who is battling a rare form of the disease

The contribution represents 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar, a first in the PMC’s 28-year history. Since its 1980 inception, the PMC has raised more than $200 million for the Jimmy Fund.

“Raising as much money as possible for cancer research is the foundation of the PMC culture,” says Billy Starr, PMC Founder and Executive Director. “PMCers compete more about the money they raise than they do about their cycling speed.”

The 27 percent increase in funds raised was primarily the result of an explosive 20 percent increase in the number of cyclists who rode in the event, according Starr. Each cyclist was required to raise between $1,000 and $3,600 to participate, depending on the chosen route. In 2007, the PMC attracted 5,100 cycling fundraisers from 36 states and 10 countries.

In addition, the PMC this year created a new, one-day, 50-mile loop that started and ended at Babson College in Wellesley. There are now seven PMC routes which cover 360 miles of infrastructure and travel through 46 cities and towns. In 2008 Ciclismo Classico will add another route to the PMC, Bike Across Italy. This 192 ride across Italy is an extension to the PMC and all monies raised will go to the PMC

While many initially join the PMC for the athletic challenge and because of the event’s reputation as a beautiful and well-supported ride, “people stay involved and raise so much because they become a part of the PMC family, reaping the personal and spiritual benefits of participating in something greater than themselves,” Starr explains. “The PMC is one weekend a year when people feel deeply connected to others in a way that is hard to replicate.” According to Starr the camaraderie shared by cyclists, volunteers, and supporters is among the PMC’s greatest attributes.

“The PMC and its riders are true heroes in the war on cancer,” said Benz. “The money they raise is critical to our mission to eradicate cancer and enables us to invest in major new patient care and research initiatives as well as to provide support services for our patients and their families.”

Founded in 1980 when 36 cyclists rode across Massachusetts and raised $10,200 for the Jimmy Fund, the PMC is known today as the “gold standard” of athletic fundraising events, due to the unprecedented sums it raises and its consistently efficient charity pass-through rate.
Through the 1990s, the PMC contributed between 92 to 99 cents of rider-raised dollar. This year’s 100 percent pass-through rate is nearly unparalleled in the $1.5 billion athletic fundraising event industry. Presenting sponsors, Boston Red Sox Foundation, Overstock.com and Covidien, along with 200 other corporate sponsors, underwrite the cost of producing the event and provide in-kind contributions of goods and services. In addition, 2,500 volunteers work throughout the year and during PMC weekend, fulfilling many roles that are typically paid positions.

The 29th annual PMC is set for August 2 and 3, 2008. Registration opens online on January 8th for alumni and January 15th for newcomers. For more information about the Pan-Mass Challenge, visit www.pmc.org.