Area residents cycle to $52M goal in Pan-Mass Challenge

NEEDHAM, Mass. — This weekend, Peter Lord of Portland, expects to bicycle up to 192 miles in the Pan-Mass Challenge with the goal of topping last year’s record-breaking gift and raising $52 million for critical cancer research and patient care at DanaFarber Cancer Institute in Boston.

During PMC weekend, more than 6,300 cyclists from 43 states and 10 countries will to participate in the PMC, according to a news release.

Riders include seasoned triathletes to weekend warriors and range in age from 13 to 85.

Many ride to honor a family member or friend lost to, or being treated for, cancer, and 914 riders and volunteers are cancer survivors or current patients, and considered living proof of the PMC mission, the statement said.

Several other Middlesex County residents will join the ride, and donations can be made to their personal PMC pages: Killingworth’s Shannon Weinstein, Middletown residents Scott Esposito and Richard Thuotte, and Old Saybrook residents Donald Brodeur, Michael Pendleton and Mark Warren.

Designed to cater to all levels of cycling and fundraising ability, the PMC offers 12 different routes, varying in mileage and difficulty, that pass through 46 towns across the Commonwealth, with starting lines in Sturbridge, Wellesley and Bourne, the release said.

Cyclists are required to raise between $600 and $8,000, depending on the chosen route, though the average cyclist raises more than $7,000, which exemplifies the spirit of the PMC and its riders.

Volunteers, spectators, donors and sponsors are also part of the camaraderie on ride weekend, all working together in hopes of one day eradicating cancer.

“After surpassing our goal and raising $51 million for Dana-Farber last year, we are excited to keep the momentum going as we approach our 39th PMC ride weekend,” Billy Starr, founder and executive director of the PMC, said in a prepared statement. “We are continuously humbled by the dedication and generosity of our riders, volunteers, donors, sponsors and community members. It’s thanks to them that the PMC is able to make such an immense impact on the fight against cancer. We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable ride weekend and can’t wait to see you all out on the road.”

The PMC donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber through the its fundraising arm, the Jimmy Fund, and is the institute’s largest single contributor, raising more than 53 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. In 2017, the PMC gave a record gift of $51 million to Dana-Farber, bringing its 38-year contribution to a total of more than $598 million since its inception in 1980.

For information visit pmc.org, call 800-WE-CYCLE, connect with #PanMass2018 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

File photo Peter Lord, of Portland, a testicular cancer survivor for more than a decade, is a member of Team Perseverance, which has raised more than$1 million for Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute since its inception. He is taking part in the Pan-Mass...