Madeleine Smith, 19, of Wellesley is an example of someone who has truly grown up with the Pan-Mass Challenge. She started the Wellesley-Weston Kids Ride in 2006 when she was 11 years old with the help of her parents who are PMC veterans. She has volunteered at the Pedal Partner Tent in Lakeville during PMC weekend for the past eight years and this year rode in the adult bike-a-thon for the first time.
“The PMC is an event that has been an integral part of my summers each year,” says Smith. “My dad, who has been riding for nearly two decades with many of his closest friends, has developed traditions that I look forward to each August, such as a big dinner the night before the event with all of our friends.”
Riding in and raising money for the PMC has become a way of life for Smith and her family. Doing everything she can to raise money to help beat cancer is her mission. To date, the sophomore at Harvard University has raised $4,750 for the cause, just $250 shy of her fundraising goal.
“I was so excited to have finally reached the age where I could participate in the adult ride,” says Smith. “My favorite part of this year’s ride was visiting the Pedal Partner Tent in Lakeville where I used to volunteer. Seeing the Pedal Partner’s faces along the route was a reminder as to why I am so passionate about the PMC.”
Throughout the year, Smith has sent personalized emails to friends and family members to share how and why she is involved with the PMC and how her loved one’s can help further the PMC’s mission by contributing to her ride. Now, in an effort to achieve her fundraising goal Smith is making an effort to educate her peers at school who have never heard of the annual bike-a-thon in order to inspire them to donate to her fundraising campaign.
“Year after year, I encourage people to learn more about the Pan-Mass Challenge and to donate what they can to further the organization’s mission,” says Smith. “Whether you give a little or a lot, every amount of money helps.”
Help Smith attain her $5,000 goal or you can support another PMC cyclist or team, here.
From left to right: Robert Smith and his daughter Madeleine at the PMC Pedal Partner Tent in Lakeville during PMC 2012.