Windham Man to Host PMC Fundraiser in Salem

From Allison Epstein

Inspired by the success of his first experience riding in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), four-time PMC cyclist Shawn Mullen, 44, of Windham decided he could not stop pedaling and became a certified spinning instructor. Now, Mullen is hosting his fourth annual indoor spin-a-thon during which 27 cyclists will ride to support the PMC on Saturday, May 12 at The Workout Club and Wellness Center in Salem.

The minimum fundraising requirement per rider is $350. Prior to the event, cyclists will have the opportunity to send Mullen song requests to be played as they ride. Upon arrival, each cyclist will receive a free t-shirt and complementary breakfast with coffee. Cyclists will then ride for three hours up to 60 miles during which bottles of water and Gatorade will be provided. Two pediatric cancer patients, Nick Napolitano, 10, of Methuen, Mass., and Loukas Tatasciore, 10 of Windham, will speak with their fathers about what the PMC means to them.  All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Jimmy Fund. 

Mullen has dubbed this year’s spin-a-thon “Shawn’s Ride for Bob and Tina” to honor the memory of his late friend Tina Vitale and the recovery of his father Bob Mullen, a cancer survivor. In 2008, Vitale, then 36, was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. After a year-and-a-half long struggle, Vitale passed away at 38 years old. By contrast, Mullen, 76, recently made a full recovery after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer in 2008.  He is looking forward to watching Mullen cycle in this summer’s PMC weekend event.   

This August, Mullen will be riding the two day 192-mile PMC route from Sturbridge to Provincetown with the Boston Bruins team. With the help of friends and family, he hopes to raise $25,000 as a tribute to his father and late friend Vitale.   

The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge is an annual bike-a-thon that today raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country. The organization was founded in 1980 and has since raised $338 million for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund. The PMC donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause. In 2011, the PMC generated 52 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue and was Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor.

For more details regarding the event and how to donate, please visit www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/ shawn-mullen-1/33rdpanmasschallenge.