Ride Your Bike & Help Save Lives

The 2013 Suffield Pan Mass Challenge Kids Bike Ride will be held on May 11 the McAlister School in Suffield. It is a great event for a terrific cause and watching so many kids ride to benefit others is a wonderful and memorable experience. Just take a look at these video clips from last year and that will be readily apparent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0qEPD5a-D0                         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHTfXo3Nszs

The Pan Mass Challenge is a 33-year old event dedicated to the fight against cancer, totaling over $375 million raised and donated to Dana Farber and The Jimmy Fund, $36 million in 2012 alone. Over 5,000 riders (400 from Connecticut) and 3,000 volunteers team up each August for one or two days rides, as short as 25 miles and as long as 192 miles.

The event is the best thing going, representing all that is good about people, coming together, sacrificing and working for a common goal to benefit others. PMC and The Jimmy Fund are both among the highest rated charities in the country, 100% of rider donations go to The Jimmy Fund and donations are 100% tax deductible.

The PMC has launched an extension of the August event called PMC Kids Rides. Last year, over 35 Kids Rides were held in NE, raising close to $1 million for The Jimmy Fund. The 2012 Suffield event was the first ever in CT and it was a great day, with over 80 riders, great partner and volunteer support and over $11,400 raised for The Jimmy Fund. Young kids ride a coned off parking lot loop, while older kids ride a well-staffed road loop of 5 miles as many times as they can in 90 minutes.

The 2013 goal is 150 kids and $20,000 raised for The Jimmy Fund.

Ages 3-16 are welcome, they can ride and raise as little or as much as they wish. The more riders the better, lunch will be provided, there will be a band, play scape and face painters on site. There will also be a raffle, including a PS3, a Panasonic flat screen TV, Red Sox and Bruins tickets, along with dozens of other great items. To sign up to ride, volunteer and donate, click here: http://www.kids.pmc.org/suffield.aspx

This will be a special day of family, fitness and fun. Hope to see you there!