Residents to participate in virtual cycling cancer fundraiser

Jun 30, 2020

Five Dartmouth residents will join more than 10,000 participants in a “reimagined” 2020 Pan-Mass Challenge bicycle fundraiser for cancer research on Saturday, August 1 — virtually.

The traditional ride to support the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute typically includes 12 routes spanning 25 to 192 miles over the first weekend of August.

But this year, it will be transformed into a virtual experience, with participants asked to ride on their own. The weekend will kick off with an Opening Ceremonies television broadcast on Friday, July 31.

    • The five residents taking part in the cycling fundraiser are Heather Mickool, James Coggeshall, James DiPasqua, Michael Anthony, and Jonathan Barratt.

According to a press release from the Pan-Mass Challenge, the event is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and will bring in supporters from around the globe  many of whom have survived or are currently battling cancer themselves  to virtually celebrate the spirit of the Challenge weekend.

“As we prepare for PMC 2020 Reimagined, we are grateful for the continued support from our growing community,” said PMC founder and executive director Billy Starr. “It is thanks to the unwavering passion and commitment of our riders, volunteers, donors and sponsors that the PMC can continue to make tangible impact on advancements in cancer research and treatment, even through this difficult time. We look forward to having old and new participants join us on August 1, bound together by our dream of a world without cancer.”

According to the organization, every rider-raised dollar is donated directly to Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund. Last year’s event accounted for more than 57 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue, with a record-breaking $63 million donated to Dana-Farber, the release stated. Over the event’s 40-year history, it has contributed more than $717 million to the institute. 

To make a donation to a Dartmouth rider or to become a virtual rider, visit www.pmc.org, or call (800) WE-CYCLE.