Pan-Mass Challenge

A Message to PMC Riders from Billy Starr – May 1, 2020

Dear PMC riders,

I have dreamt of a world without cancer, but I never would have imagined that the PMC could fall victim to a worldwide pandemic. For 40 years, our mission has been to save lives and that starts with protecting our PMC family. Health considerations surrounding COVID-19 make it impossible to deliver the PMC's high-quality experience while guaranteeing the safety of our riders, volunteers and first responders. We are left with no responsible choice but to reimagine the PMC 2020 weekend.

However much that decision pains me — and it cuts deeply — we all know that the PMC has built something that is far more than a weekend. The PMC represents something that is at the core of your lifestyle and values. It is manifest in the months and many miles of training, in your year-round fundraising efforts that provide lifeblood to Dana-Farber and, of course, in the friendships you have built through the PMC connection. Each of us has felt the camaraderie and common cause when we encounter someone in a PMC jersey, a Heavy Hitter jacket, volunteer t-shirt or a car with a PMC license plate. All that is born of the joining together with thousands of like-minded PMCers to achieve a common goal that serves the greater good, delivering millions of dollars that translates directly into lives saved as well as genuine hope for all.

Right now, amid the pandemic and economic chaos, we need the PMC more than ever, yes to battle cancer but also to nurture the community we have built. Despite the constraints on our physical gatherings, this August we can still demonstrate what people of common cause can do-with body, heart and soul-to sustain the fight against cancer. Let's harness our collective physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy, converting it into a meaningful, shared experience.

So welcome to the reimagined PMC 2020! Over the coming weeks, we will roll out our plan for the reimagined PMC 2020. Whether you ride around the block or "from sea to shining sea," you will receive your official PMC rider jersey, name badge, water bottle and socks by mid-July. May they serve as talismans on your PMC 2020 cycling journey and fundraising campaign, in whatever fashion you pursue them. Click here for information about PMC 2020 fees.

The 41st PMC may be our hardest ride yet, as we ride separately, socially distant, yet bound together by our mission — funding cures for cancer. With that goal in mind, we hope to deliver a substantial gift to Dana-Farber later this fall. You can read more about our plans for PMC 2020 Reimagined in our official press release and look for our full-page announcement in The Boston Globe this Sunday.

Thank you all for continuing to carry the torch. Together we can shine a light on PMC 2020 and make it another proud chapter in our history.

Billy Starr
Founder/Executive Director