December 2002
The 24th Annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge
Pedaling Past $100 Million to Fund Cancer Research
BOSTON — Cycling and cancer research have been connected in New England since 1980 when 36 cyclists rode 220 miles across Massachusetts to raise funds for lifesaving research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. Their efforts garnered more than $10,000 and the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), the nation's original fundraising cycling event, was born. Today the PMC raises more money than any other bike-a-thon for charity in the nation — crucial funds that are making a difference in the lives of cancer patients around the world.
Epitomizing all that can be accomplished when individuals work as a unified force, 3,600 PMC cyclists will be pedaling to raise $16 million, and surpass an overall fundraising total of $100 million, when they cross the starting lines of the 24th annual PMC on August 2, 2003.
The PMC is a family of thousands who return to Massachusetts year after year to unite in a common mission — "a world without cancer". The camaraderie shared by PMC cyclists is among the PMC's greatest accomplishments. Doctors at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute join their patients as teammates, riding for the same goal. More than 125 PMC cyclists are cancer survivors. Thousands of riders have lost loved ones to the disease. Still more ride in honor of those in treatment. While required to raise between $1,000 and $2,500 to participate, the average PMC cyclist raises $4,000. Their commitment to the fundraising portion of the PMC journey is a testament to their dedication to the cause and their belief in the PMC mission. Hundreds have been members of the PMC family for more than 20 years. Seven of the original 36 PMC cyclists rode in PMC 2002.
Today cyclists come from 37 states across the nation to participate in the one- or two-day event. They choose between six different routes ranging in mileage from 89 to 192. Volunteers number one for every two cyclists. From organizing luggage to unloading trucks to manning water stops, more than 1,900 PMC volunteers fill jobs that are typically paid positions, thus enhancing the event's profitability and culture of giving.
From 36 cyclists to this year's 3,600 cyclists, from having raised $10,000 to pedaling to surpass $100 million, the PMC continues to lead athletic fundraising events in terms dollars raised - and donated - to the charity. The PMC has been praised in the New York Times and the Boston Globe as a model in fundraising efficiency, as it annually contributes more than 90 percent of all funds raised directly to the Jimmy Fund.
GROWTH:
Since PMC's inception, the number of riders and contributions has increased dramatically each year.
| YEAR | RIDERS | CONTRIBUTION |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 36 | $10,200 |
| 1985 | 472 | $250,000 |
| 1990 | 980 | $1.3 million |
| 1995 | 1,715 | $ 3.5 million |
| 2000 | 2,847 | $12.5 million |
| 2002 | 3,394 | $15 million |
| 2003 | 3,600 | $16 million GOAL |
For more information, visit www.pmc.org or contact Jackie Herskovitz (617) 269-7171, jackie@pmc.org.
