The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge surpasses the $300 million mark

The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge has much to celebrate at its annual check presentation party tonight. The PMC will announce a $33 million donation to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund, bringing the organization's 31-year fundraising total to an amazing $303 million. The donation represents 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar in the 2010 PMC season. Thanks to our riders, volunteers and sponsors, this money has funded research studies into treatments for rare cancers, pediatric support programs, patient care and so much more. The PMC was instrumental in Dana-Farber's capital campaign, providing $183 million over seven years to help in the construction of the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care. Here is the official PMC announcement:

Pan-Massachusetts Challenge gives $33 million to Jimmy Fund, exceeding 2009 gift by $2.6 Million

$303 Million Given Over 31 Years

BOSTON –– On Friday, Nov. 12, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge will present a check for $33 million to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The 2010 fundraising total is $2.6 million, or 8.6 percent, more than the organization gave in 2009.

On Aug. 7 and 8, 5,000 cyclists from 34 states and six countries rode up to 190 miles over one or two days on 10 different routes. With the support of friends, neighbors, family members, and colleagues, the riders enabled the PMC to make the largest single contribution to the Jimmy Fund in 2010. The funds raised by the cyclists in the 2010 PMC bring the organization's 31-year Jimmy Fund giving total to $303 million. The PMC had set the fundraising goal at $31 million and exceeded it by $2 million. "PMCers are a committed and ambitious group," said Billy Starr, PMC founder and executive director. "I am continually impressed by the lengths to which PMCers go to raise money for the cause." The check will be presented to Dana-Farber President Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, at a Fenway Park event which is expected to be attended by some 500 PMC cyclists and volunteers. The contribution represents 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar, a charity pass-through rate that is nearly unparalleled within the $3 billion athletic fundraising event industry. Approximately 3,150 volunteers worked throughout the year on behalf of the PMC. "PMCers are united by a sense of purpose and the conviction that cancer can be conquered," Benz said. "The money they raise is critical to our work. It enables us to invest in major new patient care and research initiatives that could otherwise go unfunded." Founded in 1980 when 36 cyclists rode across Massachusetts and raised $10,200 for the Jimmy Fund, the PMC is known today as the "gold standard" of athletic fundraising events, due to the unprecedented sums it raises and its consistently efficient charity pass-through rate. The PMC raises and contributes more money to charity than any other athletic fundraising event in the country. The PMC was among the very first athletic fundraising events in the nation and a pioneer in the way it focused on raising money for charity. The 32nd annual PMC is set for August 6 and 7, 2011. Registration opens online on January 11 for alumni and January 18 for newcomers. For more information about the PMC, visit www.pmc.org. ###