BARNSTABLE – The annual Pan-Mass Challenge will see over 6,000 bicyclists travel across the state Saturday and Sunday.
COURTESY OF PAN-MASS CHALLENGE
The bike-a-thon raises funds for cancer treatment and research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund.
The goal of the challenge this year is to raise $45 million pushing the 35-year total over a half billion dollars.
“Obviously we found the way of merging the emotional and spiritual aspiration of funding the cures for cancer with real money,” said Pan-Mass Challenge founder Billy Starr.
Starr founded the Pan-Mass Challenge in 1980 and it has since grown into an event that raises more money than any other athletic fundraiser in the country.
The challenge now generates over 55 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue, according to Starr.
“We’re the major cash cow funding all of the great initiatives coming out of Dana-Farber,” he said. “There’s nothing that they have done in the last 20 plus years that we don’t have a hand in funding.”
He said the money from the ride has been significant to the hospital.
“I suppose you could just simply say we have our hand in the pie of every great idea, every great future researcher that is hired or is coming out of Dana-Farber,” Starr said.
The full ride is 192 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown, but in total there are 15 routes across 46 towns and 360 miles of roads.
Cape Cod will see thousands of riders from Bourne to Provincetown on Sunday.
Starr said the event allows for anyone to participate.
“Give until it hurts. You can sign up and ride this event or you can write a check. You can support it in 100 different ways,” he said. “This has become the event in which New England and beyond is funding their aspirations for a world without cancer.”
Starr said the PMC represents hope.
“Our mantra is “closer by the mile,” he said. “We know it’s not a one-year deal. We are in it for the long run, but it’s always about pushing the ball forward and we feel we have been a part of that.”
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