Last year, when Karen Collins, 44 of Boxborough, asked her sixteen-year old son, Jacob Witt what he thought he might like to do over the summer, she was ready to make a lot of suggestions - travel, classes, etc. She was stunned when he said nonchalantly, "I want to ride with you in the Pan-Mass Challenge."
Nearly two years later, Collins will not only have Jacob, now 17, pedaling by her side, but she will also be joined by her husband, Eddie, a PMC alum, and her son, Sam, 15, who will ride in the PMC for the first time. The Collins-Witt family will be among more than 5,800 cyclists who will ride in the 35th annual event to raise $40 million to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. They will embark on the two-day 192-mile PMC route from Sturbridge to Provincetown. They will ride under the umbrella Team Crank, a group of PMC cyclists who ride annually in honor of their PMC Pedal Partner, a six-year-old boy who is a leukemia survivor and is currently in treatment for a brain tumor at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic. The team’s goal is to raise $50,000.
Tackling the PMC is no easy feat, regardless of a rider’s age or experience. It takes immense amounts of dedication, motivation, and commitment to invest the time to train and fundraise. The task can be even more daunting for teenagers who are pressed for time juggling school, work, and extracurricular activities with busy social lives. But, Collins believes if the passion and enthusiasm are there, young adults can overcome these hurdles. Last year, approximately 100 teens rode in the PMC and she is hopeful that this number will continue to grow.
“I feel strongly that if a teen can get a bike and find the time to train, the donations will come,” says Collins. “Teenagers have the power to make a tremendous difference in the cancer fighting community and, in return, the PMC can have a life-changing impact on them.”
“Last year, when I asked Jacob how fundraising was going, he said that it was more difficult than he expected because not many of his friends had debit or credit cards. This made it more difficult for his peers to donate to his ride." Knowing that Jacob and Sam will encounter this same obstacle this coming summer, Karen and Sam have been thinking about different ways the boys can raise money. "We're considering hosting a fundraising event or a couple of bake sales".
PMC weekend has become a family affair for Collins, and she is amazed at the impact the event and its mission has had on her teenage sons.
“I think it is so important that kids their age sign up for the PMC because it gives them such a sense of accomplishment on so many different levels,” says Collins. “Not only is there the accomplishment of actually crossing the finish line, but there are so many achievements along the way, from reaching their fundraising goal to completing a new training ride. All of these successes benefit them in so many ways. Not only do they see this as ‘look what I did,’ they also look to the future and think ‘look what I can do.’”
For PMC parents whose children are riding with them, Collins has one piece of advice: Be prepared to leave your ego at the starting line, because they will beat you!
Karen Collins, 44, of Boxborough, and her son, Jacob Witt, 16, who will ride side by side in #PMC2014.
Post courtesy of Allison from Teak Media + Communication