This Saturday, the Boston Bruin’s Foundation presented the Pan-Mass Challenge with a check for $178,000 to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund during PMC Night at the Bruins.
The annual bike-a-thon was first brought to the foundation’s attention when a handful of alumni lost loved ones to different types of cancer and were looking for a way to make a positive impact in the cancer fighting community in their honor. Team Boston Bruins, a growing PMC team now 27 cyclists strong made up of Bruins alumni, friends and fans, have participated in the PMC for the last consecutive eight years.
Year after year, members of the team can be spotted along the PMC route wearing matching white jerseys with gold sleeves displaying the Bruin’s logo on the front and the foundation’s logo on the back, mirroring the team’s official NHL jerseys. PMC weekend has become an annual tradition for the B’s foundation that has brought members of the team closer together in many ways.
“There is camaraderie between our teammates that has been solidified throughout their participation in the Pan-Mass Challenge,” says Zack Fitzgerald, coordinator for the Bruins. “A lot of our cyclists have ridden for two to three years in a row and love coming back and seeing each other along the route, pushing each other all the way. We open up our PMC team for Bruin’s fans, making an announcement during games to recruit riders and spreading the mission of the PMC by word of mouth, making the dynamics of this team extraordinarily special.”
To date, the team has raised more than $1.5 million for the cause. Funds are raised primarily through outreach to team member’s friends and family members. Team Boston Bruins hosts an annual harbor cruise around the Boston Harbor in which all proceeds from the event support the team’s overall PMC campaign and are split evenly between the team’s riders. Going above and beyond, many of the team members also host private fundraising events. For example, PMC veteran and member of Team Boston Bruins Shawn Mullen, of Windham, N.H., hosted his fifth annual indoor spin-a-thon at a local gym this May and raised more than $33,900 for the cause.
“Everyone knows someone affected by cancer one way or the other, whether it’s through a family member, friend, neighbor, teacher, coach or whoever else,” says Fitzgerald. “Team Boston Bruins rides in memory or in support of loved ones. The PMC is a great way to get involved with an organization that is doing something to help stop cancer from affecting others in the future.”
Executive Director of Development for the Boston Bruins Foundation Bob Sweeney and other members of Team Boston Bruins presented the foundation’s check for $178,000 to Michele Sommer, director of finance and administration for the PMC, during PMC Night at the Bruins.
