The Pan-Mass Challenge Presented a Record $41 Million Gift to Dana-Farber

The new gift brings the 35-year total to $455 million.

Check presentation photo provided.

Check presentation photo with Billy Starr, PMC Founder and Exec Director, and Larry Luccino, Red Sox president and CEO  / Photo provided.

During the Pan-Mass Challenge, bikers pedal through 46 Massachusetts towns in varying course lengths. Riders can chose between six, two-day routes that range from 132 to 190 miles and six, one-day rides that range from 25 to 110 miles. All that pedaling is well worth the effort. In November, the annual bike-a-thon—which generates more than 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue and is the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s largest contributor—donated the single largest gift in its history: $41 million. After 35 years of donations, the Pan-Mass Challenge’s total is now up to $455 million.

“Our riders are incredibly passionate about riding and finding cures for cancer,” says PMC Founder and Executive Director Billy Starr. “We all share a special camaraderie, built by the shared experiences of training, riding and understanding the impacts of cancer personally or otherwise. It’s this bond that makes our unprecedented achievements in support of cancer research and Dana-Farber so extraordinary.”

Pan-Mass reps say that this is the largest sum ever raised by a single athletic fundraising event:

This incredible total was raised by 5,500 cyclists who participated in one of the PMC’s twelve routes on Aug. 2 and 3, 2014. The annual bike-a-thon attracts riders from across the world, 300 of whom are cancer survivors or current patients. Cyclists commit to raising between $500 and $5,000, minimums exceeded by ninety percent of riders; one-third raise more than twice the amount required.

The PMC is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and the New Balance Foundation. Another 200 companies support the event by providing more than $4 million in goods and services each year. During PMC weekend and throughout the year, more than 3,000 volunteers donate their time to support the organization.

Unlike many other charitable efforts, 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar goes directly to the Jimmy Fund.

“We are profoundly grateful to the PMC and the riders who, year after year, demonstrate an unparalleled partnership and commitment to our work,” said Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, president, Dana-Farber. “PMC support has enabled Dana-Farber to make crucial investments in exciting areas of genomics, immunotherapy, chemistry, and patient care. The PMC makes it possible for us to recruit and retain superlative young faculty whose energy and creativity are changing the face of cancer care. Today, these investments are paying dividends in increasing knowledge about the biology of cancer, new and improved therapies, and better quality of life for people with cancer at Dana-Farber, and around the world.”