The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the largest single athletic fundraising event in the country, and Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) have announced a new 10-year commitment together. The partnership will support the PMC’s mission to raise funds for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The weekend’s primary Saturday night lodging site since 1985, the MMA campus and its amenities have served as a catalyst for the PMC to scale from its early years and transform the ride into a major funding contributor for cancer research.
“The experience at MMA is a cherished tradition for riders, a celebration, and an opportunity to relax and recover after conquering up to 100 miles on the bike,” said PMC Founder and Chairman Billy Starr. “Just as many riders are gearing up for day two, this is a time to pause and reflect on months of training and the enormous collective PMC fundraising effort advancing cancer treatment and research at Dana-Farber.”
August 2026 marks 42 years for MMA serving as the primary Saturday finish line and Sunday start line for PMC weekend, which is always the first weekend in August. The campus collaboration, a novel idea when it started, also helped establish a now-common practice of outside organizations utilizing college campus space.
“Massachusetts Maritime Academy values its role in the fight against cancer and this important partnership with the Pan-Mass Challenge,” said Rear Admiral Francis McDonald, President of Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “We look forward to the next decade of hosting these inspiring and dedicated riders who, through their determination and commitment, are bringing us closer by the mile to a world without cancer.”
In 2025, the PMC contributed a record-breaking $78 million to Dana-Farber, bringing the organization’s cumulative contribution to $1.125 billion since 1980. One hundred percent of every rider-raised dollar goes directly to Dana-Farber. PMC 2026 is August 1 and 2.
The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) is a bike-a-thon that today raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the world. Founded in 1980 by Billy Starr – who remains the event's founder & chairman, an annual cyclist, and a fundraiser – the PMC has raised $1.125 billion for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. As Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor, the organization generates 67 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. 100 percent of every-rider raised dollar goes directly to fueling cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber. In addition to its two-day bike-a-thon across Massachusetts, the PMC is powered by further “spokes in the wheel,” with initiatives including the PMC Winter Cycle, an indoor spin event, PMC Unpaved, a gravel bike ride, and PMC Kids Rides, mini bike-a-thons for children ages 2 to 15. The PMC attracts riders and volunteers from 47 states and 12 countries and over 300,000 individual donors. Across events, the PMC has successfully melded support from committed cyclists, volunteers, corporate sponsors, and individual donors, all of whom are essential to the PMC's goal and model: to attain maximum fundraising efficiency while increasing its annual gift. The PMC's aspiration is to provide Dana-Farber's doctors and researchers with the necessary resources to discover cures for all cancers. For more information, visit pmc.org.
MMA is a fully accredited, four-year, co-educational state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, MMA has prepared women and men for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest co-ed maritime college, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. Located on Cape Cod, at the mouth of the scenic Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the ideal college to pursue the love for the ocean, concern for the environment, interest in math and science, and a thirst for adventure. Follow MMA on FB: @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy.