After Pan-Mass Challenge raises record-high $69 million, PMC sets the bar higher once again

The Pan-Mass Challenge is looking to smash its fundraising record yet again this year, as the two-day bike-a-thon across Massachusetts continues to raise more money for charity than any other single athletic event in the country.

After raising an unprecedented $69 million last year, the PMC has announced a record-breaking $70 million fundraising goal for this year to support cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The PMC is Dana-Farber’s largest single contributor, accounting for more than 60% of its Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. If achieved, this record fundraising campaign would bring the PMC’s total contributions in the fight against cancer to $970 million since 1980 — with the PMC set to cross the $1 billion cumulative fundraising milestone in 2024.

Fundraising for this year kicked off last weekend during the PMC Winter Cycle, as hundreds of spin enthusiasts came together for high-energy indoor cycling sessions inside The 521 Overlook at Fenway Park to raise funds for Dana-Farber.

Among the hundreds of cyclists participating in the PMC Winter Cycle was Hall of Fame basketball player Lisa Leslie.

The PMC donates 100% of every rider-raised dollar to support cancer research and care at Dana-Farber.

After the $69 million gift to Dana-Farber last year, PMC founder and executive director Billy Starr said, “A gift of this magnitude will 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, our community continues to raise the bar to bring us closer by the mile to cures for cancer.”

This year’s PMC will take place on Aug. 5 and 6, and registration is filling up. To learn more and register to ride up to 211 miles across Massachusetts, visit www.pmc.org/ride.

If gravel biking is more your speed, registration for this fall’s PMC Unpaved ride in the Berkshires opens in April. For more information on PMC Unpaved, visit www.unpaved.org.