Meet the Middelmanns: A PMC family fundraising team

PMC veteran Martin Middelmann, 45, of Franklin has passed many things down to his daughter.

He’s taught Catherine, 11, how to tie her shoes, brush her teeth, ride her bike and how to help others by volunteering to ride and raise money for the Pan-Mass Challenge. Together the dynamic father-daughter duo has gone beyond the treads of their bicycles to host fundraisers to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

This past May, Martin partnered with a local comic book store and set up a table selling raffle tickets for a handmade, one-of-a-kind comic book themed quilt that was sewn by his wife, Patricia. He raised $500 through the fundraiser.

Later that month, following in her father’s tire tracks, Catherine set up a table of her own, hosting a bake sale and lemonade stand in her parent’s front yard with friends and fellow Franklin PMC Kids Ride cyclists. The torrential downpours did little to deter customers that day, and the group brought in $300 for the cause.

Catherine has ridden in the Franklin PMC Kids Ride ever since its inception in 2007 and Martin has been a cyclist in the adult PMC since 2009. Beyond sewing a quilt each year to boost Martin’s fundraising efforts, Patricia also volunteers at the Franklin PMC Kids Ride.

“The PMC has evolved to become an all family event for us,” says Martin. “Even my mother volunteers at the Provincetown finish line and this year was also the first time our youngest daughter, Lizzie, joined her sister on the rode during the PMC Franklin Kids Ride. She was so happy to finally be able to be a part of it.”

Like many families, the Middelmanns have a personal reason for being invested in the PMC mission. They have a growing list of family members and friends who have been affected by cancer including Martin’s late step-father, Rod Johnson. Rod was diagnosed with stage III renal cancer in 2009 at the age of 66. Two years later, his cancer resurfaced in the form of a brain tumor and he lost his battle with the disease.

“Cycling can be very solitary, however, cycling for a cause has a way of bringing our family together for a united purpose,” says Martin. “After riding and raising money to fight cancer these past few years, we as a family feel it is important to continue to support the cause as long as we are able to do it. Without the support of families like ours, reaching that $38 million goal would not be possible.”

To date, the Middelmanns have raised more than $26,600 for the cause.

You can support Martin and Catherine or another PMC cyclist or team here.