The
PanMass Challenge is the nation’s original fundraising bike-a-thon
and today raises more money than any other athletic fundraising
event in the country.

It is also the most cost efficient. Through the 1990s, the PMC
contributed between 92 to 99 cents of rider-raised dollar. This
year’s 100 % pass-through rate is nearly
unparalleled in the $1.5 billion athletic fundraising event industry.
The PMC has contributed more than $200 million to lifesaving cancer
research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since its
founding in 1980. And it is fun! The PMC has a 71.5 percent rider
retention rate, with cyclists coming from 36 states and 10 countries.
TeamBrent
has partnered with Dr.Lisa Diller to open a much needed program
to treat relapsed neuroblastoma patients at DFCI. In 2007, 34
TeamBrent riders rode 192 miles through 46 Massachusetts towns
and 100% of every dollar they raised went directly towards this
program. Thanks in large part to TeamBrent's efforts, the Dana
Farber/Boston Children's Hospital broke ground in September of
2007 on this needed targeted MIBG/radiotherapy facility. This
therapy delivers radioactivity directly to the neuroblastoma cells.
While this will begin as treatment for relapsed neuroblastoma,
there are applications being studied to include it as part of
the upfront treatment, to both increase effectiveness and reduce
long term side effects for the patients. This year's money will
fund: more equipment (eg, a dose meter); amenities (toys, etc)
for the room; and help staff the program. Research nurses, data
manager, nuclear medicine techs all work to make this happen and
their salaries are partly covered by donor funds.
In 2005, 9 TB riders raised $135k.
In 2006, 25 riders raised $267k.
In 2007, 34 riders raised $315k. Simply amazing.
In 2008, 42 riders will raise ????
9/17/07
To:
TeamBrent
From: Lisa Diller, MD, chief medical officer
of Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Care and the clinical
director of pediatric oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
and Children's Hospital Boston where Brent received his treatment.
Re:
Making a Difference
"On behalf of the neuroblastoma team
of doctors, nurses, researchers, and most importantly, parents
and families facing this childhood cancer, I am writing to thank
you for being a part of an incredible Pan Mass Challenge ride
this year.
When
I wrote to you last year we were beginning the plans for a specialized
facility in our inpatient unit, which would allow us to deliver
a cutting edge new treatment. The treatment is called MIBG therapy
and shows increasing promise for this devastating disease. MIBG
allows us to "target" neuroblastoma cells with radiation.
I am pleased to announce that we "broke ground" this
week on the new MIBG facility. Although we will begin to treat
a small group of patients, we will need to hire specialized a
specialized research nurse and experts in radiation safety, as
well as purchase equipment for the room in order to utilize this
new facility fully.
The
addition of this new facility will allow us to provide new effective
treatments to patients and to continue to develop approaches using
targeted radiotherapy. This facility would not have been possible
without your tremendous fundraising efforts and through your hard
work riding in the PMC. I want to thank you for your continued
support and for helping us to move that much closer to beating
this disease."
***
A
Man and His Bike Newsweek Story
Walk
in the Woods Leads to Nation's Most Successful Bike-a-Thon
***
Note
from Billy Starr
Founder and Executive Director, The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge:
"Team Brent typifies how effective a motivated constituency
can be when they work together toward a common goal. The team
is a fundraising force that has galvanized a township in Connecticut
and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight neuroblastoma
cancer through the PMC."
Note
from Roger Haney
Logistics Manager, TeamBrentWheels:
"Being a part of TeamBrentWheels and the PMC is nothing short
of amazing. The team is much more than just a group of folks coming
together to fight a horrible disease – it has grown into
a Big Family that rides hard, laughs harder, and sheds a tear
or two. I will always look forward to the first weekend in August;
you can find me in Ben's Suburban chasing after a family of Super
B’s."