Biking the Inaugural PMC Unpaved Gravel Ride!

I’m In — I’m Riding in the Inaugural Pan Mass Challenge’s Unpaved Ride!

I’m excited, a bit nervous, but ready to take on the hills and dirt roads of Western Massachusetts and New York for the PMC Unpaved! The Pan-Mass Challenge, PMC for short, is a nonprofit organization that funds cancer research and provides funding for programs that improve the quality of life for people affected by cancer through its cycling events. The #PMCUnpaved is a new event that I’ll be riding in this Fall, with countless other cyclists, to raise money, of which 100% of the rider-raised funds go directly to research and treatment at Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund.

50 days ago, I reached out to friends, family, and co-workers in hopes of reaching a modest fundraising goal of $3000.

Welp, perhaps I should have set the bar a bit higher because as of typing this, I’ve received just over $4K in donations so far.

The best part?

There are 50 more days to go which leads me to ask — can we go further?

For sure!

Here are the details…

What is the PMC Unpaved?

If you’re a cyclist, heck even if you’re not a cyclist, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC). It’s a prestigious charity bike ride that takes place each year in Massachusetts and raises millions of dollars for cancer research. The 2-day event just recently took place on August 6th and 7th. Cyclists had their choice of 16 different options to ride, though I suspect most rode the original route — 186 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown. I was honored to volunteer and document riders coming into to rest, refuel and rehydrate in Franklin.

New this year, PMC is introducing the Unpaved ride. The Unpaved bike-a-thon is an off-road ride in two variations, 30 or 50 miles that winds their way in a loop through western Massachusetts communities and the Berkshires. This inaugural event all takes place on October 1st. As mentioned above, 100 percent of all rider-raised funds go directly to cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. The PMC is Dana-Farber’s single largest supporter and is 55 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. Since 1980, the PMC has raised $831 million for Dana-Farber.

What’s the Goal? The Plan?

I had originally set a fundraising goal of $3,000, a pretty modest goal that I hoped to hit and, I’m happy to say I’ve met and exceeded that. Again, I’m currently just over $4,000 in donations but looking to keep going. But I won’t be able to do that without — your donation!

So I’m continuing to reach out to you — my friends, family, and co-workers for help. As I type this, October 1st is 134 days away. So I best get moving!

Training kicked off in May with a trip south to Virginia and North Carolina for some mountain biking with friends. Nothing flushes out the legs and lungs like a long climb up gravel fire roads!

Recently? Oof. The heat and humidity had sapped my drive to get out on the bike but after seeing 6,500+ cyclists brave the scorcher that just occurred during the past weekend, there’s no excuse as to why I shouldn’t be out on the roads and trails logging miles!

I’ve even had a training partner join me on a ride or two. As always, the post-ride cookie(s) helps incentivize the workouts.

So how can you help?

First, you can donate directly to my fundraising page. Second, you can share my page on social media or with your friends and family. Third, you can come out and support me at the bike-a-thon on October 1st!

If you’ve read this far, thank you! And if you feel so inclined, please donate to my ride. Every little bit helps and it’s all for a great cause. I’ll be sure to post pictures of the event and my fundraising progress on social media, so make sure to follow me there. Thanks again for your support!

Thank you to all of you who’ve donated so far:

Aaron Mathers • Amy & David Cardillo • Andy & Megan Hytjan • The Corsi Family • Carol Patterson • Christopher Chaput • Christopher Del Sol • David & Marie Gaetani • Diane & Jim Gardner • Edward McGehee • George Michaelsen • Hadley Hammer • Jake Smith • Jim Neuman • Jane & Chip Norton • Jason Ferguson • Jeff & Kelli Conrad • Jen & Paul Belesca • Jessica & Patrick Huban • Jim Scholl • The Gaetani Family • Josh Malczyk • Kevin Cornell • Marcia Chaput • Marie Spillane • Marilyn McCallan • Mike McCallan • The Bradley Family • Paula & Ed Mulherin • Paul Skarvinko • Rooster James • Sean & Lisa Meighan • Sean & Traci Bartlett • Shawn & Jill Brown • Steven Hemphill • Stuart Winchester • Bill & Sara Brown • Youness Rayan • Mom & Dad

Pan Mass Challenge 2022 — Franklin Water Stop

Training in North Falmouth, MA

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