SHARON, Mass. — This summer, the Sharon Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) 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 to15, 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 5,800 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 fourth annual Sharon PMC Kids Ride expects more than 150 children, ages 3 to 16, to ride one of two routes, varying in mileage from three-miles to six-miles, around East Elementary School in Sharon. The event was started by Ira and Beth Rappaport in support of their children’s school charity project. After three successful years, Sharon residents Ian and Candice Gopin will host the event. Ian rode in the adult PMC last year and both of their children were PMC Kids Rides Heavy Hitters last year. The Sharon PMC Kids Ride will hold a party after the ride, which will include food, face painting, balloon animals, bounce houses, frozen yogurt from Orange Leaf, a DJ and so much more! The ride hopes to raise more $25,000.
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The Sharon PMC Kids Ride will be held on Sunday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to noon, at East Elementary School located at 45 Wilshire Drive in Sharon. There is a $10 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 Ian & Candice Gopin at pmckids.sharon@gmail.com or call 800-WE-CYCLE.
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