Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh To Ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge

They will both have fundraising minimums---just like us.

(From Left to Right) Governor of Massachusetts Charles M. Baker, Mayor of Boston Martin J. Walsh, Josh Bekenstein, managing director at Bain Capital/DFCI and PMC board member, Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, president. Photograph at the Heavy Hitters Dinner, provided.

(From Left to Right) Governor of Massachusetts Charles M. Baker, Mayor of Boston Martin J. Walsh, Josh Bekenstein, managing director at Bain Capital/DFCI and PMC board member, Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, president. Photograph at the Heavy Hitters Dinner, provided.

Governor Charlie Baker says that he has not been on a bike since he was 18 years old. But that isn’t stopping the Bay State’s head honcho from participating in the upcoming Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC).

Last Friday evening at the PMC’s “Heavy Hitters Dinner,” an event that honors people who raise “significant amounts” of money for the PMC and Dana-Farber—at least $6,900—both Governor Baker and Mayor Marty Walsh committed to ride one of the routes of the PMC. The annual bike-a-thon currently raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country.

The two politicians were at the event, which was held at the Intercontinental Hotel, as speakers. But while on stage, Baker joked that he hadn’t been on a bike since he was an 18-year-old, and made a commitment in front of the crowd by saying, “I’m in.”

Walsh, a cancer survivor who was treated at Dana-Farber as a boy, also joked that if the Governor is in, then he is, too.

Fortunately, while both commitments were made as crowd-pleasing “jokes,” PMC reps say that it is happening. While the duo has not yet announced which routes they will be cycling, once they do decide, they will have to reach a fundraising minimum, just like everyone else. Although something tells me that these two established politicians know a thing or two about fundraising.

In 2014, the PMC generated 53 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue and was Dana-Farber’s
single largest contributor.

The PMC runs through 46 towns across Massachusetts, with cyclists choosing between 12 routes of varying mileage designed to cater to all levels of cycling strength and fundraising ability. There are six, two-day routes that range from 132 to 190 miles and six, one-day rides that range from 25 to 110 miles. This year’s event takes place August 1 and 2.

Now, if we can only convince Mayor Walsh to #justshowup at the November Project.

To register or for more information, visit pmc.org.