Registration opens Jan. 15 for the 35th annual Pan-Mass Challenge

NEEDHAM, Mass. – Tis the season for thousands of cyclists from across the country to come together and gear up to ride and raise millions of dollars for cancer research. Registration for the 35th annual Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) opens Jan. 15. PMC weekend, set for Aug. 2 and 3, 2014, will raise money to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. 

The PMC is the most successful athletic fundraising event in the nation, raising more money for charity than any other single event. In 2013, the PMC generated more than 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue and was Dana-Farber’s largest single contributor.

This year, more than 5,500 cyclists will ride to raise $40 million and bring the PMC’s 35-year Jimmy Fund contribution to $454 million. The PMC contributes 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the Jimmy Fund. 

The PMC is a fully-supported bike-a-thon that takes cyclists through 46 cities and towns across the Commonwealth. Cyclists come from 38 states and five countries representing riders of various cycling experience levels, cancer survivors and current cancer patients, ages 13 to over 80. The 35th annual event will offer 13 routes that range from 25 to 190 miles over one or two days. Fundraising minimums range from $500 to $4,300. 

“The Pan-Mass Challenge is more than an annual bike-a-thon,” says PMC Founder and Executive Director Billy Starr. “Rather, the PMC is a diverse group of committed and passionate individuals who connect beyond the bicycle to work toward one unifying mission: to help raise funds to find cures for cancer. Their collective efforts make a tremendous impact in the global cancer fighting community.”  

Known as “seed money,” PMC funds enable clinicians and scientists to pursue innovative research that is not yet eligible for government or industry funding. PMC money could be funding the next cures for cancer. 

For more information about the PMC, or to register to ride, visit pmc.org. Like the Pan-Mass Challenge on Facebook or follow the annual bike-a-thon on Twitter, @PanMassChalleng.