According to officials with the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, 23 Falmouth residents are set to join the 33rd annual incarnation of the biking and fundraising event, which will take place this weekend, Aug. 4 and 5.
In a press release issued recently, representatives of the event said, “Residents from Falmouth will pedal their way into fundraising history as participants in the 33rd annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), the nation’s pioneer charity bike-a-thon that raises more money than any other athletic fundraising event in the country. They will be among 5,500 cyclists who will ride with the collective goal of raising $36 million to support adult and pediatric cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund.
“PMC riders range in age from 13 to 88. Some are seasoned tri-athletes while others are weekend warriors having trained for this event alone. Most PMC 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 PMC cyclist trains for three months, solicits 40 sponsors, and raises more than $6,000. 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.
“No other single athletic event raises or contributes more money to charity than the PMC. Since 1980, the PMC has raised $338 million for adult and pediatric cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The PMC gives 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the Jimmy Fund, a rate of fundraising that is nearly unequaled within the $3 billion athletic fundraising event industry. In 2011, the PMC raised $35 million, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the philanthropic support of Dana-Farber. More than 230,000 individual contributions were made to last year’s PMC fundraising campaign.
“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 11 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 153 to 190 miles and five one-day rides that range from 25 to 110 miles. In 2012, 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.”
Falmouth’s 23 riders are: Paula Baxter, David Bosselman, Ken Caswell, Charles Clark, Robert Davis, Thomas Feronti, Susan Gallagher, Mitchell Hoffmeister, Heidi Ingram, Greg Inman, Matthew Inman, Robert Inman, Carl Lincoln, Eileen Lind, Peter Lind, Alison Lorusso, John Macleod, Dennis Murphy, James O’Connor, Richard Schwartz, Myles Slosberg, Karen Smith-Rohrberg, and Peter Weiss.