How we are raising $41M by reimagining the PMC

I have seven major causes where I give back my time, money, and other resources: 1) cancer research/treatment 2) entrepreneurship 3) children's education 4) diversity and inclusion 5) the environment 6) fixing politics and 7) veterans.

The anchor point for the first cause has been the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), an annual charity bike ride with several other related events throughout the year that raise more money for charity than any other event in the U.S.

The PMC - like many other charities - is facing a significant reduction in donations and funding.

Our goal is to raise $41M for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute by reimagining the event and continuing on our mission to work towards a world without cancer.

Here is how the non-profit is adapting and how you can help.

Cancer isn't taking a break. Neither are we.

Here are a few statistics to think about:

• Cancer continues to be the second leading cause of death globally. Last year, it was responsible for more than 10 million deaths.
• Approximately 70% of deaths from cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• The economic impact of cancer is significant and is increasing. The total annual economic cost of cancer in 2010 was estimated at approximately US$ 1.16 trillion.
• 300,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer worldwide in 2020.

Also, consider that cancer patients are at an increased risk from COVID-19 because their immune systems can be weakened by cancer and its treatments.

Posters of child cancer patients along the PMC route. Gets me every time...

About the Pan-Mass Challenge 

What began as a grassroots effort, when founder Billy Starr and 35 of his friends rode across Massachusetts and raised $10,200 for cancer research in 1980, is now the single most successful athletic fundraising event in the world, shattering fundraising goals year after year, contributing almost $720 million to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment.

Starr is widely recognized as a pioneer of the $5 billion athletic fundraising industry, having consulted on similar events around the country. The PMC has also earned accolades for its effective fundraising tactics, such as encouraging riders to take advantage of Fidelity Donor Advised Funds, engaging with Facebook to pilot a new peer-to-peer Fundraising API and cultivating strategic partnerships that allow organizers to maintain an impressive 100 percent pass-through rate.

The last point is important: 100 percent of rider-raised dollars are donated, which is the exception rather than the rule in the non-profit fund-raising world. That money is going to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund for cancer research and treatment.

Since 1980, the PMC has contributed almost $720 million, and today, the annual PMC donation accounts for a significant portion of the Dana-Farber's operating budget. The PMC has funded dozens of life-improving and life-saving therapies, including the necessary PMC resources to:

• Play a leadership role in the development of 41 percent of cancer drugs recently approved by the U.S. FDA
• Uncover new techniques for targeting cancer-causing mutations through precision medicine
• Successfully identify biomarkers in melanoma that allow for personalized immunotherapy treatments

How I'm Involved

The PMC has been a passion of mine and my wife Jenifer's since our first ride in 2003.

For many riders, volunteers, and donors, the interest to contribute was sparked by the loss of a relative, a friend, or a colleague. For us, it was my father's death from pancreatic cancer and Jen's father's battle with breast cancer, which he survived (yes, it's uncommon, but men can get breast cancer, too.) Around, the same time, a good friend and colleague's mother passed, and we decided to do something about it collectively, forming team POWERCure, composed of a group of people from the Boston tech and startup ecosystem.

Since that time, we lost many more loved ones and acquaintances to cancer, and we've become more determined than ever to support the mission. As a family we have committed to ride, train, volunteer, donate, and share all things PMC.

Sydney rode her first Kid's PMC as a three-year-old and has done three so far.

Jen has become a member of the Head Volunteer Staff with year-around involvement, leading critical logistics and rider support activities (that's in addition to her two non-profit board positions at Good Sports and South Shore Stars as well as her day-job as an exec at State Street and the world's #1 Mom!).

And other friends and family members, including brother John and sister Cate, have joined as volunteers and riders.

Photo: Proud Dad. Sydney's first Kid's PMC Kids Ride 4 Cancer in April 2017.

Throughout the years, though, it became more than just about us, it became about the community, about the greater good. Billy Starr said that being a PMC rider is about, "the idea that they are bikers first, philanthropists second but they are all joined together, they are rising above their daily conditions to pitch into a greater cause through their commitment to biking and humanity at large."

We ride, volunteer, and donate for our friends, our families, you, ourselves, and everyone. We do so, so just perhaps, we can help to leave a cancer-free world for our children.

The Impact of COVID-19 and Reimagining 2020

In a normal year, more than 4,000 volunteers, thousands of onlookers, and hundreds of first responders would gear up this weekend, August 1st and 2nd, to support more than 7,000 riders from 48 U.S. states and 15 countries, pedaling up to 192 miles across 47 towns, 12 routes, and 360 miles of infrastructure in Central and Eastern Massachusetts with the common goal of raising critical funding for cancer research and treatment.

But 2020 had different plans. The PMC made the very difficult decision to reimagine the event this year, due to the pandemic and resulting uncertainty that we'd be able to guarantee a safe experience for all.

First, instead of gathering in mass to ride across the state this weekend, more than 8,100 PMCers - many participating from across the globe - will ride in their own way. 

7,000 riders are expected to ride on real roads, solo or in small groups, with safe distances. 1,100 virtual riders will participate in virtual rides, including a 60-minute indoor, live-streaming Zwift ride, hosted by six-time US National Cyclocross Champion Tim Johnson with special guests, including US Olympic Team member Emma White. And several online events will bring together thousands of volunteers, donors, and supporters from their hometowns to celebrate the spirit of PMC weekend.

Second, instead of the target of $65 million raised for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the PMC has re-set its goal to hit $41 million, for its 41st year. That’s still a daunting number, but it has to be. Cancer hasn’t taken a break during the pandemic and neither are we, and each rider, volunteer, and virtual rider's fundraising efforts will bring us closer by the mile to this goal.

We may not be able to gather together for PMC weekend, but must remain laser-focused on the mission: to work towards a world without cancer.

We know that with the economic strain the pandemic has caused, we will have to expand the fundraising net even farther, and think even more creatively, to retain a laser focus on raising essential funding for the Dana-Farber's mission.

For our part, Jen and I will donate and will join with friends - collectively Team POWERcure - this Saturday, August 1 to do our own PMC ride, in a tribute to the cause we care so much about.

What you can do to Help

If you care about the mission, please support the PMC any way that you can.

I appreciate that economic upheaval has impacted everyone differently. If you can donate, you can do so via this page to make a tax-free donation that all of which goes to the Dana-Farber. Donating by August 2nd would be amazing so that PMC has a better gauge on money inflow, but you can do so through September 2020, if you’d like. And if you already donated to another rider: Thank you! It all goes to the same cause.

If you’d rather support the organization in other ways, you can do so as well, including:

• If you are an individual, consider cheering on the riders on August 1st and 2nd
• Consider riding or volunteering next year. (Contact me if you'd like to learn more from my experience.)
• If you represent a company, consider joining nearly 200 other corporate sponsors who donate gifts of goods and services to help the PMC keep costs low and contribute 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber. Businesses that contribute to the PMC are recognized by thousands of PMC cyclists and volunteers and receive advertising placements on the PMC website or collateral material. 
• And if you can, please help us get the word out by liking this post and sharing it with your network.

Right now, amid the pandemic and economic chaos, we need the PMC more than ever, yes to battle cancer, but also to nurture the community we have built. Despite the constraints on our physical gatherings, we can still demonstrate what people of common cause can do with body, heart, and soul to sustain the fight against cancer.

With gratitude,

Erik