WSJ: Running, Biking Your Way to Good Works

 Interesting column in today’s Wall Street Journal about athletic fundraisers, including the PMC. Link to story here.

DECEMBER 9, 2009, 8:12 A.M. ET

CONSUMER FINANCE: Running, Biking Your Way To Good Works

By Andrea Coombes

In 1986, Bruce Cleland’s two-year-old daughter, Georgia, was diagnosed with leukemia. Soon after, he and his wife started volunteering for the local Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in part to “ease their own pain,” he says now.

A year later, after one of many black-tie, gala fundraising events, Cleland said recently, “We were tired and haggard. We’d done rather well, made $100,000 or so,” he said, but “I was thinking there’s got to be another way to scale this thing up so the same group of three or four people aren’t carrying all the load.”

Cleland’s idea? Ask companies to pony up money to sponsor employees who agree to run a marathon. The idea grew to include personal sponsorships–individuals donating on behalf of individuals. Fast forward to December 1988: Cleland and his group of 38 fellow athletes run the New York City marathon. All told, they raised $320,000 for leukemia research and patient services.

He and his band of runners set in motion the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program. The group of 38 has turned into some 40,000 people participating every year. In exchange for raising a minimum dollar amount, they take part in a months-long training regimen that culminates in a marathon, triathlon, cycling or hiking event. Team in Training events raised some $110 million for the society’s research and patient-services work in 2009.

Cleland wasn’t the first to link athleticism to fundraising. In 1980, Billy Starr, who lost his mother to cancer when he was in his 20s, started the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, a long-distance bike ride that raised $10,000 for cancer research in its first year.

In 2008, the two-day event–cyclists ride routes as long as 190 miles–raised $38 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life isn’t considered an endurance event, but it requires stamina: Participants join teams and on the day of the event each team must have at least one person walking the track for the next 24 hours. The event started in 1985 when one man–Dr. Gordy Klatt, a surgeon from Tacoma, Wash.–raised $27,000 by running a track for 24 hours.

More than 5,000 Relay for Life events took place in 2008, raising about $409 million for the American Cancer Society.

These programs are not unlike the typical walk-a-thons that first started in the early 1970s and continue today, but some events are far more strenuous. Take the AIDS LifeCycle. The event, first launched in 2002, is a seven-day, 600-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. (In 2009, the event raised more than $11 million for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.)

The top 30 athletic fundraiser events raised a total of $1.76 billion in 2008, according to the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council, a for-profit business that advises nonprofits on operating such programs.

“It’s a very compelling way to raise funds,” said David Hessekiel, president of the council. “People are more apt to give to their friends and neighbors when they’re friends and neighbors are doing something that shows a real commitment. Putting yourself out there and saying I’m going to take a physical challenge is impressive to people.”

Plus, technology is helping such programs grow; requesting donations is much simpler. “The old days [entailed] walking around with a piece of paper and asking for money,” Hessekiel said. “Now it’s all in one fell swoop. You can encourage them to follow a link from an email you send, go to a site, sign up, put it on the credit card.”

Some Web sites that provide fundraising services to nonprofit groups can also be used by individuals who want to turn a personal athletic challenge into a fundraising program for their favorite cause.

Even Richard Branson, head of the Virgin Group, is embracing the idea: He’s vowed to run the London Marathon and is seeking donations on his behalf for Virgin Group’s nonprofit foundation. The company started a U.K. site aimed at aiding online fundraising.

Still, isn’t there something inherently selfish about taking on a personal challenge as a fundraising activity? I asked myself that as I prepared to take part in a two-day, 200-mile bike ride earlier this year, to raise money for the San Francisco Aids Foundation. I sure did enjoy the training, and the ride itself–is that what fundraising is supposed to be like?

But maybe that’s the point.

These events connect disparate people to the cause, Cleland said. “They have what’s hopefully a very positive experience over the period of months preparing for the event, they’re doing something extraordinary they wouldn’t have done otherwise, and then they walk away with a very strong and positive bond [to the charity] which I think in many cases lasts the rest of their lives.”

I can certainly attest that over the course of our ride, I became very connected to the cause and the people. Some of my fellow participants are HIV positive. Some 65 of us raised more than $200,000 for education and prevention.

Some critics don’t like to see fundraising dollars going to pay the costs of such programs. In some cases, charitable groups fly participants to events in far-flung locales. On my bike ride, we were put up in a hotel overnight (adequate lodgings but definitely not luxurious).

In general, charities require a minimum dollar amount be raised–if you don’t raise it, you pay out of your own pocket–with that minimum based on the event’s costs. For instance, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society creates a fundraising formula that ensures that related costs don’t exceed 25% of the total raised.

One of the American Stroke Association’s Train to End Stroke events takes place in Hawaii. Participants must raise at least $4,900 for that event, said Melissa Shirtcliff, director of the program. “Each program has its expenses,” Shirtcliff said.

And those costs are offset by benefits for the charities. Athletic participants “are volunteers for the course of six months,” Shirtcliff said. “We get to educate them to lead healthier lifestyles as well as educate them on other events that we do.”

Still, there’s no getting around the fact that funds raised may go to cover airfares and lodging for participants.

“Obviously these endeavors have a place in each charity’s mix of revenue,” said Sandra Miniutti, vice president of Charity Navigator, a charity rating site. But, they may be more cost effective than the traditional gala event. “They have the ability to cultivate more people and bring more people in. You can ask someone for $10. For a gala, you’re charging $500 a ticket and it may cost $300 a person to pull it off.”

And, Cleland noted, these events attract ordinary people, whereas philanthropy is often considered a province of the wealthy. “If there’s a magic to this event, it’s that it has been able to transcend those kinds of barriers of wealth and affluence. It enables ordinary people to participate.”

Another bit of magic: Cleland’s daughter Georgia is a survivor. She celebrates her 26th birthday this month.

(Andrea Coombes is a writer for MarketWatch. She can be reached at 415-439-6400 or via email at AskNewswires@dowjones.com.)

PMC in the News

Here are some of the recent news articles about the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge check presentation to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on Saturday Dec. 5. What a great party!

The 30 year donation!

NECN was at the party and put together this great piece.

The Boston Globe focused on the donation to DFCI. Here’s an excerpt from writer Peter Schworm’s story.

That the challenge raised less this year may be a measure of both the recession’s depths and, some said, its own success after rapid growth in recent years.

In just the few years from 2006 and 2008, the challenge drew 1,000 more riders and raised $9 million more.

“Exceeding our goal in this economy is a tribute to the commitment of riders and donors,’’ Starr said, alluding to the lower $30 million goal set this year.

“They have shown remarkable fidelity to the cause.’’ “When you are Mt. Everest, climbing it every year becomes harder,’’ said Starr, a 58-year-old Wellesley resident who started the event after his mother, uncle, and cousin died of cancer.

Organizers said the roughly $5 million decline was expected, given the economy, and that many charities sustained far bigger drops. The $30.4 million raised this year is more than any other one-event athletic fund-raiser in the nation, and the third-largest amount raised in event history, organizers said.

Full story here. More from the Associated Press is here.

And here  are photos and coverage from bizbash.com

Pan-Massachusetts Challenge gives $30,384,200 to the Jimmy Fund for 30-year total of $270 million

Official announcement of PMC gift to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

BOSTON (Saturday, December 5, 2009)— The 2009 Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) has contributed $30,384,200 to adult and pediatric cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its August cycling event.

This PMC  fundraising gift is the single largest contribution made to the Jimmy Fund in 2009, representing  50  percent of the charity’s annual revenue. The funds raised by the 4,937 cyclists of the 2009 PMC brings the organization’s 30-year total Jimmy Fund gift to exactly $270 million.

The organization had set the fundraising goal at $30 million.“Exceeding our fundraising goal in this troubled economy is a tribute to PMC riders’ commitment to raising money for cancer research and care,” said Billy Starr, PMC founder and executive director. “It also shows that people understand the necessity of funding research for this deadly disease.”

The ceremonial check was presented to Dana-Farber President Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, at the House of Blues Saturday night at a party attended by some 800 PMC cyclists and volunteers. The contribution represents 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar, a charity pass-through rate that is nearly unparalleled within the $3 billion athletic fundraising event industry.  

This is possible due to presenting sponsors the Boston Red Sox Foundation and Overstock.com who, along with 200 other corporate sponsors, underwrite the cost of producing the event and provide in-kind contributions of goods and services. In addition, 3,000 volunteers work throughout the year and during PMC weekend, fulfilling many roles that are typically paid positions.

“The money the PMC raises is critical to our work. It enables us to invest in major new patient care and research initiatives that could otherwise go unfunded,” Dr. Benz said. “In this economy, when non-profit organizations are seeing a decrease in private, corporate and federal funding, we are extremely appreciative of the PMC’s extraordinary support.” Dana-Farber is one of the top cancer research and treatment institutes in the country. The PMC is among Dana-Farber’s largest funders.

In 2009, the PMC attracted 4,937 cycling fundraisers from 36 states and eight countries. Each cyclist was required to raise a minimum of between $1,000 and $4,200 to participate, depending on the route chosen. Routes ranged from 47 to 190 miles over one or two days. More than 90 percent of PMCers raised more than their respective fundraising minimum, according to Starr.

Founded in 1980 when 36 cyclists rode across Massachusetts and raised $10,200 for the Jimmy Fund, the PMC is known today as the “gold standard” of athletic fundraising events, due to the unprecedented sums it raises and its consistently efficient charity pass-through rate. In 30 years, 61,606 cyclists have ridden in the PMC and 36,269 people have volunteered to make the PMC such a successful and well-supported event.

The PMC was among the very first athletic fundraising events in the nation and it was a pioneer in the way it focused on raising money for charity.

The 31st annual PMC is set for August 7 and 8, 2010. Registration opens online on January 12 for alumni and January 19 for newcomers. For more information about the Pan-Mass Challenge visit www.pmc.org.

PMC hosts book launch party

Many of you know PMCer Jothy Rosenberg. And those who don’t know him personally, you’ve seen him along the Sturbridge to Provincetown route the last seven years.

He stands out among the sea of matching PMC cycling jerseys. Rosenberg lost his leg to cancer as a teenager and today he rides with one leg on a bike specially-designed with one pedal.

You notice Rosenberg as he passes you, offering you kind words of encouragement through long stretches between water stops, the challenging hills or the dunes. You thank him and nod and then you notice – this guy is riding past me with one leg.

You pedal faster and push harder to try to catch up with him.

Oh, and he only has one lung too.

Rosenberg has seen it happen many times over the years, and he laughs.

Rosenberg at the 2009 PMC, taking a quick break to meet Pedal Partner Brian Pender

The Pan-Mass Challenge is one piece of Rosenberg’s amazing journey as an amputee turned extreme athlete, which he chronicles in his new book, Who Says I Can’t.

Who Says I Can't Cover

The PMC hosts a launch party for Who Says I Can’t on Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the PMC headquarters, 77 Fourth Ave., Needham. Meet Rosenberg and purchase an autographed copy of the book (limited numbers copies). The book can also be pre-ordered online. Event is free and open to everyone.

Here’s more about Rosenberg’s personal story:

Who Says I Can’t (mass distribution date February 1, 2010 but available for sale) is Rosenberg’s memoir, the inspiring story of his incredible desire to surpass countless mental and physical challenges, from getting his PhD in five years to being offered a job as the first-ever professional amputee ski instructor. The book reminds readers that while everyone has something that could hold them back from setting and reaching high goals, it is possible, even necessary, to achieve in the face of adversity.

Rosenberg, now 53, was only 16 when a diagnosis of osteogenic sarcoma required the amputation of his right leg just five inches below his hip. A mere three years later, the cancer had returned, metastasizing and spreading to his lungs. This time, it was 2/5 of his left lung that had to be removed. His doctors told him that he had zero chance of survival. Taking the experts at their word, Rosenberg thought if he was going to die, he’d do it while skiing. So, he quit college and drove to Alta, UT, where he skied for 100 days straight. When the snow melted and he was still alive, he devised a plan for living instead of dying.

That was 33 years ago. Rosenberg defeated the odds and beat the cancer, just one example of the perseverance that has come to define him. Ever since the day of his second surgery, when his doctors essentially handed him a death sentence, Rosenberg has been determined to beat the odds and not just survive, but truly live. He strives to be the best in everything he does, never just “pretty good, considering…”

In the years since beating cancer, Rosenberg has accomplished many incredible feats of endurance and strength, completing challenges that would seem insurmountable to those even with two good legs and a full set of lungs. Who Says I Can’t recounts the numerous seemingly impossible achievements Rosenberg has accomplished; from founding six start-up tech companies, to riding in the 192-mile, two-day Pan-Massachusetts Challenge seven times, to completing the annual swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco a whopping 16 times, to being a double black-diamond skier, each of Rosenberg’s accomplishments is more amazing and inspiring than the last. He teaches us to appreciate what we have, use it well and we just might be surprised at what we can do when we focus and push ourselves as he has.

Why Says I Can’t Book Launch Event

Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 5 p .m. to 8 p.m.

Pan-Mass Challenge Headquarters

77 Fourth Ave., Needham Mass.

Impact of Charity Bike-a-Thons

 A group called the Bikes Belong Coalition has come out with a study that shows what PMCers have always know – bike-a-thons are a growing and powerful way to support a cause.

PMC 2009

The study looked at 2008 rides, including the Pan-Mass Challenge, and found that last year bike rides for a cause raised $195 million.

It also found that:

More than 1,700 U.S. recreational road riding events were held in 2008

More than 1 million Americans participated in these events

Two-thirds of the events were tied to a cause

 The study highlighted the so-called “Big Nine” cycling fundraisers held annually including: the PMC, Team in Training, Tour de Cure, AIDS Lifecycle and the LIVESTRONG Challenge.

These nine programs (some include multiple events in many cities) made up more than 92 percent of all of the money raised for charity through cycling in the U.S.

The “Big Nine” are the best of best when it comes to charity cycling events. The nine rides collectively involved some 178,000 participants who raised more than $180 million in 2008. The PMC, which caps its number of riders, raised $35 million in 2008, and is the largest single athletic fundraising event in the country.

Read the full study here.

Plan Your 2010 PMC Route

The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge has announced its routes and minimum fundraising requirements for PMC 2010.

Note two new route options that will allow some two-day riders to sleep in their own beds on Saturday night, while still enjoying (or enduring!) the two-day ride experience.

 The new routes also make it possible for adult PMC cyclists to join their children in Wellesley on Sunday for the family ride.

The other routes remain unchanged. Fundraising minimums also remain unchanged from the 2009 rates.

Here’s the breakdown of the routes and fundraising requirements:

2-DAY STURBRIDGE – PROVINCETOWN $4,200

2-DAY WELLESLEY – PROVINCETOWN $4,200

2-DAY STURBRIDGE – WELLESLEY $3,400

2-DAY WELLESLEY – WELLESLEY $3,400

*2-DAY WELLESLEY – BOURNE ON SATURDAY  / WELLESLEY TO WELLESLEY ON SUNDAY $3,400

*2-DAY STURBRIDGE – BOURNE ON SATURDAY  / WELLESLEY TO WELLESLEY ON SUNDAY $3,400

1-DAY  STURBRIDGE – BOURNE $3,000 (Saturday)

1-DAY WELLESLEY – BOURNE $3,000 (Saturday)

1-DAY  WELLESLEY – WELLESLEY $500 (Sunday) 13-17 years old

1-DAY / WELLESLEY – WELLESLEY $1,000 (Sunday) 18 years old and up

**1-DAY / BOURNE – WELLESLEY $1,000 (Sunday)

* NEW ROUTE

**Sunday ride for registered 2010 volunteers only and is not available until Volunteer Registration opens. The registration fee for the Wellesley Sunday 1-day ride only is now $125.

PMC 2010 registration opens for Heavy Hitters on Jan. 5.

Stock up on great cycling gear!

The PMC is clearing out its warehouse and that means huge discounts on PMC merchandise – jerseys, jackets, hats and much more are all up to 75 percent off.

It could be a perfect holiday gift for your favorite PMCer.

The discounts include New Balance and Vineyard Vines PMC items too! PMC kids T-shirts just $5.

And of course, all proceeds from the PMC store benefit the fight against cancer and will be donated to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.

Here’s some of the merchandise on sale:

New Balance Women's Jacket

New Balance Men's Half Zip Jacket

Vineyard Vines Tote

PMC Water Bottle

Check out the PMC store here. You must have a PMC log in to visit the store.

30th PMC Gala and Check Presentation – Saturday, Dec. 5

 The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge will celebrate its 30th annual contribution to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in style.

This year’s annual check presentation party will be held at the beautiful and very cool, new House of Blues on Lansdowne Street in Boston Dec. 5. PMCers get your tickets here. (You will need your PMC ID#)

The 30th PMC Gala and Check Presentation will celebrate the amazing commitment of PMC riders, volunteers and supporters who braved a tough economic climate to meet the demands of the PMC and help fight cancer in 2009.

And, it promises to be a great time for all. The dress code is denim, so wear your favorite jeans to party the night away.

Once again, the PMC donation to Dana Farber will represent 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar. The amount of the donation is kept secret until the event. The gala includes dinner and cocktails, a speaking program, special guests and the check presentation by PMC Founder Billy Starr to DFCI President Dr. Edward Benz. Then, there will be plenty of time for dancing and celebrating. Two bands will play well into the night.

The PMC expects about 1,000 people to attend.

The check presentation tradition started simply in 1980 when Starr gave the check to then Jimmy Fund Chairman Ken Coleman in the parking lot of the Jimmy Fund building. Over the years, the check presentation has had many forms: a mid-week luncheon at Jimmy’s Harborside, a slideshow presentation and dinner at Dana-Farber, a winter bicycle parade at General Cinema in Chestnut Hill, a day at Fenway Park that included tours of the field, and a gala at the Boston Convention and Expo Center. Curious about more PMC history – check out our 30 Years in 30 Weeks series.

Read about the 2008 check presentation event here and here.

The 30th PMC was held Aug. 1 and 2, where 5,000 cyclists biked up to 190 miles to raise money to fight cancer. The bikers raised a minimum of $1,000 to $4,200 depending on which route they chose. On average, 90 percent of all PMCers, exceeded the minimum fundraising contribution and one-third raised more than twice the amount required. The ride is made possible thanks to 2,800 volunteers and dozens of corporate sponsors.

The check presentation will bring the 2009 PMC season to a close and get us all excited to kick off the 2010 PMC season. Registration begins in January.

More on the PMC Bridge to Progress

The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute celebrated 30 years of PMC history last night with the rededication of the PMC Bridge To Progress, which connects the Smith and Dana buildings at DFCI.

The skywalk bridge is a PMC museum of sorts, with displays of photographs, t-shirts, rider jerseys, and other memorabilia from the past 30 years.

The bridge was first created in 1997 and until this year, reflected PMC weekends for the first 18 years. Now the bridge is up to date with memories of all 30 years of the PMC. It’s a much more accurate depiction of what makes the PMC a magical event.

The PMC Bridge to Progress is a tribute to the PMC and all of the riders, volunteers, financial supporters and corporate sponsors who have made the PMC the most successful athletic fundraising event in the nation. The names of PMC Heavy Hitters and those who have reached “lifetime achievement” status, by raising $100,000 or more, are listed on glass placards on the bridge. Their names, and the total sum the PMC has raised, will be updated annually.

The ribbon is cut at the unveiling of the newly renovated PMC Bridge to Progress. PMC founder Billy Starr, left, with Dr. Edward Benz, DFCI president

Here goes!

In addition to the incredible sum of money the PMC has raised for cancer research and treatment over three decades, Dana-Farber President Edward J. Benz, Jr., said the PMC’s brilliance comes from the community it has created.

“You can’t experience any part of the PMC and not be inspired by it,” Dr. Benz told guests at the bridge rededication celebration. “The most important aspect of the PMC, along with the money it raises, is the spiritual atmosphere it creates for all who are involved.”

Billy Starr rededicates PMC Bridge to Progress | NECN

 The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute celebrated 30 years of PMC history last night with the rededication of the PMC Bridge To Progress, which connects the Smith and Dana buildings at DFCI.

Watch the NECN coverage here.

(NECN: Boston) – An exciting night for the Pan Mass Challenge and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

PMC founder and executive director Billy Starr cut the ribbon to rededicate the PMC Bridge to progress.

The bridge serves as a tribute to the 30 years of support the PMC has given Dana Farber.

The annual bicycle ride has raised nearly 240-million dollars for the Jimmy Fund since 1980 – a number that will grow when this year’s total is announced in December.

The PMC Bridge was built in 1997. The rededication celebrates the PMC’s 30-year commitment to Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund.