'Back in the saddle': Thousands of bicyclists expected for Pan-Mass Challenge this weekend
STURBRIDGE — After two years of adjustments due to COVID-19, the founder of the Pan-Mass Challenge said they are officially “back in the saddle” as thousands of bicyclists are expected to ride Saturday morning to raise millions for the fight against cancer.
“We are using the expression ‘Back in the saddle,'” Billy Starr, the event’s founder and executive director, said. “We’re doing lodging, transportation and communal eating, as well as our opening ceremonies. We’re doing everything but massage."
Starr is being serious about the massage and the lack there of.
“That (the massage) field was decimated in the pandemic and we needed about 150 people to do it and we could only get 50. So we’re not going to do it,” Starr continued. “But everything else is the PMC you would remember if you were familiar with.”
In 1977, Starr, who is now 71, came up with the idea for the PMC when he and a few friends rode to the tip of Cape Cod in memory of his mother, who died of melanoma at the age of 49. It has grown into the nation’s largest single-day athletic fundraiser.
The annual Pan-Mass Challenge was canceled in 2020 for the first time in its 40-year history due to COVID. As a result, riders, volunteers and donors engaged in an adapted interactive experience called “Reimagined PMC” from their homes.
Despite not bicycling in the open air, “Reimagined PMC” riders in 2020 raised $50 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, bringing its 41-year total of contributions to $767 million.
Last year, it was reimagined into the “Hybrid PMC,” Starr said.
“People reimagined and we were able to do the ride and water stops and the hubs. Nobody was allowed at the campuses. A lot of logistics were thrown at the participants. And they did a great job,” he said. “Last year was a record $64 million. That was the largest we’ve ever did. We made a $116 million in two years. Name me anyone in the country who came to even half of that.”
Vaccinations required
Starr said there is a “full vaccination rule” in place at registration for participants and no guests are allowed on any of the sites.
“Listen. COVID (is) still here,” he said. “But we have a full vax policy following guidance from our medical counsel and Dana-Farber and we got 6,300 riders. That’s pretty good.”
More than 6,300 cyclists, 4,000 volunteers and 200 corporations are expected to do their part in the Pan-Mass Challenge Saturday and Sunday.
More than 1,000 cyclists are returning to the in-person event this year.
More than 950 riders and volunteers are cancer survivors or current patients, and more than 140 Dana-Farber employees committed to the cause as riders and volunteers as well.
To date, there has been 134,742 riders and 74,724 volunteers.
The details
Starting lines are at 366 Main St. in Sturbridge and Babson Park in Wellesley, with a starting time of 5:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m., respectively.
Riders can choose from 16 different one- and two-day routes varying in distance from 25 to 211 miles. PMC riders and volunteers hail from 43 states and eight countries participate in the PMC, all with a common goal: to find a cure for cancer.
Since its inception in 1980, the PMC has raised $831 million for adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber through the Jimmy Fund.
The event donates 100% of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause. The PMC generates more than 55% of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue and is Dana-Farber’s single-largest contributor.
In 2022, a new fundraising challenge was issued by an anonymous PMC couple — they will match every donation towards this year’s gift to Dana-Farber.
This year’s PMC fundraising goal is $66 million.
“The people reimagine. They commit. They raise money. That’s the culture. If you have been involved with the PMC, you know it’s about raising money. People get that,” Starr said. “I’m riding my 43 PMC. I look forward to sharing it with my friends and the PMC community at large. I love the weekend and actually when it’s over.”
The PMC is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and M&T Bank.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'Back in the saddle': Thousands of bicyclists expected for Pan-Mass Challenge this weekend
