The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the world’s leading athletic fundraiser, announced a record $75 million (US) donation to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for cancer research, treatment, and patient care. The milestone gift, revealed during the PMC’s One in a Billion Celebration at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, brings the organization’s lifetime fundraising total to $1.047 billion since its inception in 1980.
“This year’s PMC gift marks an incredible milestone in its 45-year history,” said Billy Starr, PMC founder and executive director. “We have demonstrated the impact cycling and fundraising together can achieve, but our work is not done. We’re setting our sights on the next billion as we pedal Closer by the Mile toward a world without cancer.”
The PMC is Dana-Farber’s largest single contributor, providing 66% of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. For the 18th consecutive year, 100% of every dollar raised by riders goes directly to cancer research and care, a funding model that has enabled Dana-Farber to make significant advancements, including contributions to over half of FDA-approved cancer drugs in the United States from 2018 to 2022 and the expansion of its clinical trials program into one of the nation’s largest.
Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber, expressed gratitude for the PMC’s unwavering support. “As a six-year PMC rider myself, I share the excitement of all the participants and appreciate the community of supporters that the PMC has created. As a researcher, I see the impact on research and patient care from funds raised by this community every day.”
This year, 6,800 riders and 3,500 volunteers participated in the PMC Ride Weekend in August, cycling up to 211 miles across Massachusetts. Additional fundraising initiatives included the PMC Winter Cycle, PMC Unpaved, and PMC Kids Rides, which collectively contributed to the record-setting donation.
The PMC, co-presented by the Red Sox Foundation and M&T Bank, has become a model for efficient fundraising. Its commitment to covering administrative costs through corporate sponsorships allows every rider-raised dollar to directly support Dana-Farber’s mission.
Founded by Starr in 1980, the PMC has revolutionized athletic fundraising, becoming Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor and a critical partner in the fight against cancer. To learn more about the PMC and its mission, visit www.pmc.org.
Photo: John Deputy
