52 Framingham Residents Riding in 34th Annual Pan-Mass Challenge Saturday, Sunday

This weekend, 52 residents from Framingham will participate in the 34th annual Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the nation’s first charity bike-a-thon that raises more money than any other athletic fundraising event in the country. 

They will be among 5,500 cyclists who will ride with the collective goal of raising $38 million to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. 

PMC riders range in age from 13 to 88. Some are seasoned tri-athletes while others are weekend warriors having trained for this event alone. 

Many PMC participants ride in honor of a family member or friend lost to, or being treated for, cancer. All share a passion and desire to one day find a cure for the disease. The average PMC cyclist trains for three months, solicits 40 sponsors, and raises more than $6,000.  

Doctors ride alongside their patients; grandparents ride with their grandchildren; and others show support from the sidelines in the form of donations and cheers. More than 300 riders are cancer survivors or current patients.

“It’s a powerful and emotional weekend for everyone involved,” says Billy Starr, Pan-Mass Challenge founder and executive director in a press release. “From the cyclists, to volunteers, staff and family and friends along the route, the PMC unifies 10,000 people for one weekend to make a difference and raise funds to eradicate cancer.”

During PMC weekend, individual cyclists unite to become one extended family. The camaraderie shared by 5,500 cyclists, more than 3,000 volunteers, and thousands of spectators, is one reason cyclists from 36 states and eight countries return to Massachusetts each August to participate in the PMC.

No other single athletic event raises or contributes more money to charity than the PMC. 

Since 1980, the PMC has raised $375 million for adult and pediatric cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

The PMC gives 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund, a rate of fundraising that is nearly unequaled within the $3 billion athletic fundraising event industry. 

In 2012, the PMC raised $37 million, accounting for more than 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. 

Framingham residents participating are:

David Badeau, Sean Barry, Craig Berkson, Jay Burke, Carol Conway, Edward Cosgrove, Fred Crockett, Victor Dietz, John Downes, Steven Flammey, Ramon Franco, Christine Glynn, Jack Glynn, David Goodhue, Carl Goodman, Kevin Harris, Douglas Hill, Phil Katz, Eileen Keefe, Adam King, Jonathan Kirshtein, Stephanie Kogan, Joe Kynoch, Tim MacDonald, Thomas MacInnes, Alison Mancusi, Jaime Manion, Joanne Meyer, Brian Nelson, Deborah Nelson, Paul Nelson, Meghan O'Connell, Robert Paul, Lindsay Peckham, Thad Peterson, Tim Preston, Loren Puffer, Stephen Richards, Timothy Robinson, Suzy Rudich, Nicholas Sabella, Lori Sharon, Jon Siegel, Dan Smith, Melissa Snow, Fran Sullivan, Marcie Tardiff, Chad Tibbert, jennifer Trudel, Ginny Walsh, Jay Wilkinson and Jonathan Zarkower.