PMC 2021: The State of the PMC

Dear PMCers,

PMC 2021 will stay on mission, harnessing our collective commitment to fundraise for lifesaving cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It is our fervent hope that we will be allowed to return to large group rides, albeit in reduced numbers.

In 2020 we teamed up, even while apart, to reimagine the PMC. This proved inspiring and "reimagining" will continue to be an integral part of our 2021 fundraising efforts. Obviously, the PMC mantra “Commit, you’ll figure it out” will be tested yet again.

Registration will open in tiers in January as it always has: first Heavy Hitters, then alumni, and then new riders. This Thursday, you will be emailed a menu of 2021 routes that:

is manageable and safe
allows the greatest number of riders to participate
has the best chance of meeting state-mandated health and safety guidelines next August

Based on our careful analysis, we believe the 2021 edition of the PMC can accommodate 5,500 riders judiciously spread out over our 360 miles of infrastructure. For reference, in 2019 we hosted 6,000 riders Saturday at Mass Maritime Academy (MMA) in Bourne and 5,000 riders Sunday in Provincetown. Our PMC 2021 plan calls for a maximum number of:

3,000 Saturday riders from Sturbridge or Wellesley and finishing at MMA;
3,000 Sunday riders starting from MMA (or anywhere on the Cape/Bourne area) and finishing at Provincetown; and
2,500 Sunday riders from Wellesley or Foxboro (NEW) on the 25/50 routes or the Century loop (NEW)

More details will be provided on Thursday, but below are the highlights of what the PMC can and cannot provide in 2021.

The 2021 PMC will provide:

Route infrastructure support
Medical and mechanical support
Volunteer support
Road and traffic control
Luggage transportation on point-to-point routes
Waterstops with food and beverage
“Grab & go” lunch at finish lines
Ferry service from Provincetown (paid by the rider as in past years)

The 2021 PMC will not be able to provide:

Hub site gatherings (Sturbridge, Wellesley, Bourne, and Provincetown)
Access to the MMA campus beyond the finish line
Lodging (except Friday in Sturbridge; facilitated by the PMC but paid by the rider)
Major meals or alcohol
Massage
Showers
Bus transportation before or after your ride

The above plans have been created so that we, who hunger for mission and community, can still ride together in 2021.

After you review the additional details you receive on Thursday, feel free to call the PMC office at 781-449-5300 or email panmass@pmc.org with any questions.

Thank you for your support,

Billy Starr
Founder/Executive Director

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