Groton Residents Cycle Thirty-Fifth PMC
Sixteen Groton residents AND a contingent of riders from Hollingsworth and Vose will ride in the 35th annual Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), Aug. 2 and 3,
Cyclists will ride up to 190 miles to raise $40 million to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The PMC is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and the New Balance Foundation.
Riders from 36 states and five countries return to Massachusetts each August to participate in the PMC.
This year riders range in age from 13 - 90. Some are seasoned tri-athletes while others are weekend riders who have trained for this event alone. Many participants ride in honor of a family member or friend lost to, or being treated for cancer. All share a passion and desire to one day find a cure for the disease. The average cyclist trains for three months, solicits many sponsors, and raises more than $6,500. More than 300 riders are cancer survivors
Doctors ride alongside their patients; grandparents ride with their grandchildren; and others show support from the sidelines in the form of donations and cheers.
Halfway through the first day, riders pass through Cherry St. in Wrentham where 100s of residents turn out to thank the cyclists. "It is very emotional," said Andrew Brandt who is riding his fourth PMC. "They stand along the route with signs and pictures of loved ones thanking us," he continued.
Personally, I have cycled the PMC three times. I remember one sign in particular: "If it wasn't for you, I would not be here." That was very emotional for me and the other cyclists.
Many riders have personal stories about why they ride and raise money. Ken Jeffries continues to ride even after being diagnosed with cancer. He has completed 12 rounds of monthly chemo and, as long as his MRI is stable, he will be without chemo for first time in 15 months!
"He continues to confound his team with how active he is and how strong his blood results are," said his friend Jackie Baker. Jeffries continues training in earnest to ride from Sturbridge to Wellesley.
The PMC is a fully supported bike-a-thon with food and water stops, mechanical and medical assistance, luggage transportation, and lodging. Cyclists choose from 12 routes of varying mileage designed to cater to all levels of cycling strength and time availability. There are six two-day routes that range from 132 -190 miles and six one-day rides that range from 25 - 111 miles. In 2014, cyclists are required to fundraise between $500 and $4,300 depending on the route.
Below is a list of riders and their Egift numbers. The www.PMC.org site is easy to navigate, making it uncomplicated to make a tax free donation for a very good cause.
Robert Anctil (RA0055), Jacqueline Baker (JB0481), Kevin Barrett (KB0250), Andrew Brandt (AB0268), Peter Difranco (PD0146), Doug Furciniti (DF0194), Matthew Hickcox (MH0233), Joseph Howard (JH0425), Damon Irby (DI0017), Kenneth Jeffries (KJ0046), Charles McKinney (CM0202), Raymond Murphy (RM0150), Haley Pollard (0040), Laura Pollard (LP0056), Jim Siedewand (JS0533) and Bill Provost (BP0090),
Also riding from Groton is Team HVision. "Our vision is for a world free of cancer - by riding the PMC and supporting cutting-edge research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute!" said Bill Provost.
CEO of H&V, Val Hollingsworth, strongly encourages employees to commit to riding in the PMC. He and his wife Carol have done the 2-day ride (Sturbridge to the Family Finish at P-town for over a decade. Jim Boss, Greg Vanfleet, and Ed Nee work at the H&V's West Groton facility.
"The other riders work at our East Walpole and Easton, NY facilities. H&V has lost several employees to cancer in recent years, and we ride to make a difference in the fight against cancer," continued Provost. The team has committed to raising $50,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute this year.
Team HVision team members will be cycling a variety of routes including, Sturbridge to P-town, Wellesley to Bourne and Wellesley to Wellesley (50 mile route). H&V riders are James Boss (JB0624), Rich Boyle (RB0233), Edward Bregman (EB0173, Kelly Bregman (KB0299), Katelyn Dwyer (KF0120), Kenneth Fausnacht (KF0120), Carol Hollingsworth (CH0058), Val Hollingsworth (VH0008), Igor Kofman (IK0011), Marina Kofman (MK0211), Lea MacNider (0LM0177), Ed Nee (EN0177), Michael Pouliot (MP0138), Bill Provost (BP0090), Pascal Tropper (PT00061), Greg Vanfleet (GV0026) and Jane Richard (JR0252).
Many Groton PMC riders return annually, hoping that each mile cycled will bring the researchers closer to finding cures for the cancers that affect people every day.
