Record-Breaking Gift Brings the PMC’s Total Contributions in Support of Cancer Research within Reach of $1 Billion Since 1980
BOSTON (November 14, 2022) – Today, the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the nation’s most successful single-event athletic fundraiser, announced a record-breaking $69 million gift to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This gift is the largest single donation Dana-Farber has ever received, bringing the PMC’s total contributions to $900 million since 1980. In 2024, the PMC will reach a significant milestone of $1 billion raised in support of life-saving cancer research, treatment and care thanks to the unwavering dedication of the PMC community to the organization’s mission and its beneficiary, Dana-Farber.
“Our riders stepped up in unprecedented ways this year to raise an astounding $69 million for our beneficiary, Dana-Farber, a world leader in cancer research and treatment,” said PMC founder and executive director Billy Starr. “A gift of this magnitude can move the needle in so many ways, but there remains work to be done. As the PMC heads towards a $1 billion cumulative fundraising milestone, this is an incredible moment to celebrate the progress that has been made in the fight against cancer due to PMC funding.”
For the 16th consecutive year, the PMC donated 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar to support the lifesaving mission of Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. The PMC is Dana-Farber’s largest single contributor, accounting for more than 60 percent of its Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. A majority of the dollars raised by riders are unrestricted, which allows Dana-Farber to utilize it at their team’s discretion to support vital research and treatment trials that may have otherwise gone unfunded. In recent years, PMC funding has supported PMC funding has supported Dana-Farber researchers in leading clinical trials that resulted in the first CAR T-cell therapies approved by the FDA for indolent follicular lymphoma and multiple myeloma, a major milestone for patients with these cancers.
“I am continually in awe of the PMC community’s unwavering commitment to defy cancer with their generosity,” said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber. “I am proud to be a part of this dedicated community as a seven-year rider myself. The PMC’s impact is extraordinary and fully supports our efforts to forge scientific breakthroughs that translate into new, promising therapies for patients and families around the world.”
This year’s record-breaking gift was revealed during an intimate evening for riders, volunteers and corporate partners who contributed to the cause at the Encore Boston Harbor Resort and Casino on Saturday night. In August, the PMC brought together more than 6,400 riders from 43 states and 8 countries to cycle up to 211 miles across Massachusetts for its 43rd ride, the first traditional PMC Ride Weekend since 2019. New in October 2022, the PMC hosted PMC Unpaved, a first-of-its-kind, one-day, off-road gravel ride which took place in the Massachusetts’ Berkshires. This inaugural event, which joins PMC Ride Weekend, PMC Winter Cycle and the PMC Kids Rides program as yet another opportunity to commit to the PMC’s mission and support Dana-Farber, brought together hundreds of new and existing PMC riders for a fun and challenging off-road cycling experience.