The Pan-Mass Challenge's $35 million raised and contributed to Dana-Farber in 2011 made the PMC the number one single athletic fundraising event in terms of funds raised in the United States, according to the annual Run Walk Ride 30 study released yesterday. The country's top 30 "a-thon" fundraising programs generated $1.69 billion in gross revenue for charity last year, up $40.8 million from 2010, the study reported. The PMC has consistently been the top fundraising event in the nation since its 1980 inception. In terms of athletic fundraising organizations that host multiple events nation-wide, the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life program topped the list with $415 million raised through 5,100 events with 3 million participants. Other single athletic charity events making the list included the AIDS LifeCycle, a 545 mile, 7 day bike ride along the California coast that had 2,300 participants and raised $13.3 million. The Ohio-based Pelotonia ride, founded in 2009 and modeled after the PMC, raised $13.1 million through its August event with 4,900 riders. Twenty three of the top 30 events, including the PMC, all saw their fundraising totals increase from 2010 to 2011. Click here to see the full report from The Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council.
