BELMONT, Mass. — This spring, the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) Belmont Kids Ride will be one of 37 PMC Kids Rides throughout New England and beyond. In 2013, the PMC Kids Rides program attracted nearly 4,700 cyclists, ages 2 to 15, who rode between one and 26 miles in mini-bike-a-thons to raise money for cancer care and research.
The PMC Kids Rides are spokes in the PMC wheel, joining the more than 5,500 adult PMC cyclists in their mission to fund adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The PMC is a two-day, 190-mile bike-a-thon held the first weekend of every August. Since 1980, the PMC has raised $414 million for the Jimmy Fund.
PMC Kids Rides offer a way for children to become part of the PMC mission, involving young people in volunteerism and fundraising in a safe and athletic way. Since the first ride in 1998, The PMC Kids Rides program has raised more than $5.5 million.
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To provide the young cyclists with an additional push, the PMC recognizes cyclists in the Kids Rides program who raise $250 or more. Riders who meet this goal are honored as Heavy Hitters and receive an official PMC sack pack and certificate to acknowledge their fundraising achievements.
The PMC Belmont Kids Ride expects 200 children, ages 3 to 12, to ride one of three routes around Belmont Hill School in Belmont. The event was started in 2011 by Teddy Mitropolous with the help of his classmates to honor his late teacher, Cliff Goodband, who succumbed to cancer. As in years past, a new group of seniors will volunteer during the ride as part of their senior project along with help from other students. The PMC Belmont Kids Ride will hold a party after the ride, which will include a DJ, bouncy house, face painting and other family friendly activities. The ride hopes to raise $25,000.
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The PMC Belmont Kids Ride will be held on Sunday, May 18, from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m., at Belmont Hill School located at 350 Prospect Street in Belmont. There is a $15 registration fee and a $25 fundraising minimum. PMC Kids Rides are sponsored by the Yawkey Foundation. Contributions can be made payable to the Pan-Mass Challenge. To register, visit http://kids.pmc.org. For more information, email Carie Capossela at carielynn@gmail.com or call 800-WE-CYCLE.
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