L-R: Lori Cote, of Somerville, and Peter Cote, of Somerville.
– Photo by Jay Baronowski

The 2013 Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) raised $39 million for adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. The 2013 fundraising total is $2 million more than the PMC gave in 2012 and brings its 34-year Jimmy Fund contribution to $414 million.

The PMC, which was held Aug. 3 and 4, is the most successful athletic fundraising event in the United States; it raises and contributes more money to charity than any other such event. One hundred percent of every rider-raised dollar is given directly to the Jimmy Fund, a charity pass-through rate that is nearly unparalleled within the athletic fundraising event industry.  The PMC is Dana-Farber’s largest single contributor and the event raises nearly 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.

Last August, 5,533 cyclists from five countries and 38 U.S. states rode one of 11 routes that ranged from 25 to 190 miles. More than 240,000 individuals supported their efforts with contributions. Approximately 3,300 volunteers and 200 companies, supplying almost $5 million in products and services, provided riders with food, mechanical and medical assistance, luggage transport and support of all kinds.

PMC Founder and Executive Director Billy Starr presented a ceremonial check to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at a brunch celebration held on November 3 at Legal Harborside in South Boston. Hundreds of PMC cyclists, volunteers and family members were in attendance.

“Since the 2009 recession, PMC has grown from raising $30 to $39 million, which is a 7.5 percent annualized average growth per year! PMC cyclists are among the top fundraisers in the country,” says Starr. “Each year, they come back to the event with a renewed commitment to raising more money for cancer research.”

Riders included more than 300 cancer survivors and current cancer patients as well as avid cyclists and weekend warriors. Many rode in support of loved ones being treated for cancer or in memory of those who have been lost to the disease.

“The support from the PMC enables our scientists to conduct the earliest forms of research, before it is eligible for government or other funds,” says Dana-Farber President Edward J. Benz Jr., MD. “The next new treatments for cancer may be the result of PMC funding.”

Founded in 1980 when 36 cyclists rode across Massachusetts and raised $10,200 for the Jimmy Fund, the PMC is known today as the gold standard of athletic fundraising events due to the unprecedented sums it raises and its consistently efficient charity pass-through rate. One of the very first athletic fundraising events for charity in the nation, the PMC was a pioneer in its focus on fundraising and efficiency.

The 35th annual PMC is set for Aug. 2 and 3, 2014. Registration opens online on Jan. 15. For more information about the PMC, which is presented by the Boston Red Sox Foundation and New Balance, visit pmc.org.