Sports
Catching Up With Chad Larcom, the Student Who Brought the PMC Kids Ride to Rhode Island
Patch sat down with Chad Larcom, a senior at St. George's School who organized his third annual PMC Kids Ride this year, a fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund to help fund cancer research.
Cyclists as young as age 2 and as old as age 15 last weekend took part in the third annual Middletown PMC Kids Ride, a fundraiser for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.
Chad Larcom, a senior at the , brought the Pan Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) Kids Ride to Rhode Island when he was a sophomore. Not old enough to even hold a driver’s license, Larcom maneuvered through municipal red tape, police union policies and logistical details and became an inspiration to his classmates, teachers and the community.
Patch caught up with the Larcom at his school campus to learn more about the what it took to organize the race and what drives his passion for cancer research.
Patch: Why don’t we start with a brief history of the race?
Larcom: Sure, the PMC was started 31 years by a guy named Billy Starr, who founded it to help cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since then it has grown into what it is today, which is I believe is $300 million.
Patch: What is the history of your involvement?
Larcom: My mom was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in ‘98 and we were living in Alaska at the time...She was pregnant with my youngest sister Beth. We had an uncle who actually rode the PMC so we had a connection with Dana-Farber. He told us he could get us into Dana-Farber if we moved and the Army said that was fine. I’m an Army brat, so we were stationed up there. They moved us to Natick, Massachusetts across country which is a really long road trip. We still have the Alaska plates which is nice....That summer my dad and my older brother, who was only 13 at the time, rode the 180-mile ride and we have done it every year since.
That’s the big ride...then someone started the kids ride. Then three years ago... I started the Middletown [kids] ride here, and it was the first ride here in Rhode Island.
Patch: How do you balance the organization of the race with your aggressive school schedule here at St. George’s?
Larcom: It’s pretty hard. I usually do most of the stuff over Spring Break...you have to get the permit over winter break. I do most of my work on Sundays, which is our only day off since we have school on Saturdays. I go to businesses, the school systems and things on Sundays. I do most of my work, the logistics stuff, over Spring Break.
Patch: What is the most challenging part of organizing the race?
Larcom: The first year the most challenging part was getting the town permit just because we ran into a pretty unique problem being the first ride in Rhode Island. The police in Rhode Island can’t volunteer their time freely, their union doesn’t let them...We couldn’t use any of the money we raised as a fundraiser to go towards the police because the PMC has a policy that everything raised has to directly to the Jimmy Fund.
Patch: How did you resolve the issue?
Larcom: The first year I asked the council for an in-kind donation. They said no because they didn’t want to set a precedent. I was interviewed by the "Newport Daily News" afterwards and they ran a series of articles, three days in a row. On the third day someone approached the Middletown police and anonymously paid for the detail. That was huge. That saved the ride.
The second year I knew we had to do this ahead of time, so I set up a series of fundraisers here at St. George’s for the police detail.
Patch: What have you learned by organizing the event over the last three years?
Larcom: I’ve learned a lot about reaching out to local businesses and town council reps. The first year I thought they were kind of against me, but they want to help, they are great.
Patch: What are your plans for after St. George’s?
Larcom: I will be going to Tufts in Boston and studying biology on a pre-med track.
Patch: Do you know what type of medicine you would like to practice?
Chad: Research.
Patch: What has inspired you to enter medical research?
Chad: It has been a number of things. I really enjoy biology, it is something I have done pretty well here in. Growing up with my mom, and my sister, and everything we have done with the PMC and all the hard work that goes into the cancer research that is going on.
Patch: Do you have a mentor?
Chad: Of course my parents. From day one, from three years ago they have helped me along, driving me places. They have been a huge help. Then of course all my teachers...a bunch of people.
Patch: How would you say your best friend would describe you?
Larcom: (laughs) I don’t know. That is a college question right there, so I’m sure I have answered it before. I’m pretty dedicated. I always have a busy schedule. I am always doing something. So I guess active.
Patch: Do you have any advice for a student who wants to make a difference, who wants to do something of this magnitude?
Larcom: Definitely talk to adults in the community. Whether that’s the town administrators, town council reps, or local business leaders. They have done things like this, they have been around, so they know what you have to do.
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