The Pan-Mass Challenge presented a record-breaking $80 million gift to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The gift, which was presented at a celebratory brunch at Rochambeau in Boston, brings the PMC’s total contribution to Dana-Farber’s fight against cancer to more than $1.2 billion.
“$80 million isn’t just a number. It represents the next clinical trial, the next breakthrough, the next life saved, and the next patient who gets to ring the bell at the end of treatment,” said Billy Starr, PMC Founder and Chairman. “Now, more than ever, our riders, volunteers, donors, and corporate partners understood exactly what was at stake. They didn’t just meet the moment, they rode right past it. I’ve never been prouder of this community, and I’ve never been more confident that the cures we ride for are within reach.”
For the 20th consecutive year, 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar goes directly to Dana-Farber. Powered by thousands of riders and volunteers from across the world, each and every dollar raised will help fuel groundbreaking cancer research, lifesaving treatments, and the patient care that carries families through their hardest days.
The record-breaking gift arrives at a pivotal moment. While federal research support and grant approval rates are shrinking, cancer rates are continuing to climb, with more than 20 million projected new cancer cases worldwide in 2026 alone. In that gap, the PMC’s sustained giving has become one of the most essential forces keeping transformative research at Dana-Farber moving forward.
"We are immensely grateful for the PMC’s longstanding support of Dana-Farber,” said Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and PMC rider. “This unprecedented gift is an important milestone and will be used to shape the future of cancer care and research at Dana-Farber. I am honored to be one of thousands of committed PMC riders and volunteers who have played a role in making a big impact.”
The unprecedented gift reflects a full year of riding and fundraising. In addition to the flagship PMC weekend, crucial funding was supported by the PMC’s other spokes in the wheel, including PMC Winter Cycle, an indoor spin event at Fenway Park, PMC Unpaved, a gravel bike ride, and PMC Kids Rides, mini bike-a-thons for children ages 2 to 15.
The PMC is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and M&T Bank.