July 2, 2002
Cyclists Conquer Commonwealth for Cancer Cures
Spectators Encouraged in Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, Aug. 3 & 4
A sea of cyclists, nearly 3,800 in all, will take to the roads across the Commonwealth on August 3 and 4 in the 23rd annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, the nation's original charity bike-a-thon, which raises money for cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and its Jimmy Fund. The two-day biking event has two starts, one in Sturbridge and one in Wellesley, winds through six different routes, and spans 285 miles across the southern, central and eastern parts of Massachusetts.
These are bikers on a mission - to financially support the search for cancer cures. In just the past 22 years, PMC riders have raised nearly $69 million, bringing new promise and hope to doctors, cancer patients, and their families throughout the world through the Jimmy Fund, which is a major fundraising arm of the world-renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The average PMC rider trains for six months, rides more than 1,000 miles and raises more than $4,100 for the nation's most successful bicycling fundraiser.
"Cyclists are inspired by spectators' cheers as they push up a hill or when their energy has waned," says Billy Starr, founder and executive director of the PMC. "It is heartwarming to be applauded for our mission and our physical efforts."
With just 36 cyclists, the first PMC raised $10,200 in 1980. This year's goal is to raise $15 million for the Jimmy Fund. PMC riders and their supporters have been instrumental in helping Dana-Farber's clinicians and researchers learn more about cancer and its causes, and to develop new, increasingly effective treatments to be used worldwide.
The Pan-Mass Challenge
The nation's first bike-a-thon for charity, the PMC continues, after 22 years, to be the most cost-effective athletic charity event in the nation. With 91 cents of each dollar raised going directly to the Jimmy Fund, the PMC has contributed nearly $69 million to the world-renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since 1980. Presented by MFS Investment Management®, Pan-Mass Challenge 2002 will be held on August 3 and 4, offering six different one- and two-day routes totaling 285 miles across Massachusetts, to 3,800 riders. For more information about the PMC, call 800-WE-CYCLE or visit www.pmc.org.
