Kudos to the riders, the volunteers, the organizers, the families, the people who cheered the riders on… and everyone who was involved in this amazing bike challenge. I stood at the end of our road and took some photographs of these incredible riders. Each and everyone of the riders thanked me for cheering them on. Unbelievable!
Here are some facts that I got from their website:
About the PMC: The Pan-Mass Challenge® (PMC) is a bike-a-thon that today raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country. Benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the PMC pioneered the $4 billion athletic fundraising industry when it was founded in 1980 by Billy Starr, who remains the event’s executive director, an annual cyclist and a fundraiser.
The PMC donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber and is the institute’s largest single contributor, raising more than 53 percent of the annual revenue at The Jimmy Fund®.
In 2017, the PMC gave a record gift of $51 million to Dana-Farber, bringing the PMC’s 38-year contribution to Dana-Farber to more than $598 million since its inception in 1980. In 2018, the PMC has a fundraising goal of $52 million.
The Ride: 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. More than 6,300 cyclists from ages 13 to 85 will ride in 2018, choosing from 12 routes designed to cater to all levels of cycling and fundraising ability. There are six two-day routes that range from 132 to 192 miles and six one-day rides that range from 25 to 110 miles. Cyclists are required to raise between $600 and $8,000 to ride in the PMC, depending on the chosen route.
It was an amazing morning. I got goosebumps just watching them all riding on this hot and stormy weekend for such and incredible cause. Thanks to everyone who participated! It was inspiring!
