Volunteers cook and serve all the food on PMC weekend
By filling jobs that are often paid positions, volunteers are among the reasons the PMC is able to donate 100 percent of every rider-dollar raised directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 2010, more than 3,000 people registered to help out and 200 of those were cancer survivors.
Post ride massages are a must!
Volunteers: the links in the chain that turn the PMC wheel Volunteering for the PMC is a way of life for so many. Their work is a celebration of humanity and hope. Their presence over PMC weekend is a physical reminder that we all have the ability to do something that will make positive changes in the lives of current and future cancer patients. Nearly 3,100 volunteers, more than 200 of whom are cancer survivors, work tirelessly to load and unload luggage, massage the muscles of tired cyclists, grill hamburgers, pour gallons of water, repair bikes, and provide security and medical support. Thousands of others cheer along the PMC's ten routes holding hand-made signs and thanking riders for their efforts. Volunteers are the backbone of the PMC. Their year-round work enables the PMC to keep its operating expenses low, enabling the organization to donate 100 percent of every dollar raised to the Jimmy Fund. Every August for the past 17 years, members of the Heller family, who dub themselves "Hellers on Wheels," travel from near and far to volunteer in the PMC as part of their family reunion. This year, five Hellers took to their bikes while 10 filled important volunteer positions. Some traveled from Cincinnati, Atlanta, and as far away as Mexico City to cheer on riders and assist along the 10 routes. "The PMC is a way for us to come together as a family to help others who are battling cancer," says Lauren Heller, 28. "Our family has lost loved ones to cancer so the event is something that is near and dear to our hearts." Over PMC weekend, the Hellers' shirts bear the names of the loved ones lost to or battling cancer, sent to them by their PMC sponsors. "It's rewarding for us as a family to raise money for cancer research so fewer people will suffer in the future," she says.