Busking on Newbury Street, selling art, and sending emails to family are just some of the ways Upper School students raised thousands of dollars for cancer this summer as part of the Pan- Mass Challenge (PMC). Then, they celebrated their impact with a 150- mile bike ride.
The PMC is an annual “bike- a-thon” that raises money for the Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to support cancer research and treatment. According to its website, the PMC “raises more money for charity than any other event in the country.” The bike ride took place August 3 and 4.
For the 45th annual PMC, Daniel Wang ’22, Max Conine ’24, Leo Wang ’24, Allison Wang ’25, Quinn Conine ’27, and Nathan Ma ’27 worked as a team to train and ride a 50-mile loop starting and ending in Wellesley. Lily Coughlan ’24 also participated separately, riding a longer 162-mile route from Wellesley to Provincetown over the course of two days.
Allison brought the team of students and alums together two years ago after realizing many people she knew loved biking. The team has expanded since, and she is always looking to inspire more students to join the cause, she said.
“I originally formed this team in memory of my dad because he wanted to do the PMC.”
Her dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020 and died in 2022. His dream was to bike the PMC after getting better but was unable to do so. Now, she rides in his honor. However, Allison is motivated to ride by more than her dad’s dream, she said.
“Recently, for the past two years, I’ve been going back for the community. Going to bike, meeting all these people, and getting the support from all the volunteers and people lined up around the route is kind of what keeps me coming because it’s a really fun event, and at the end of the day, even if it’s really far and really tiring, it’s towards a great cause.”
Allison first rode in the PMC at 15 years old, the youngest age allowed to bike the 85-mile route.
“I was super exhausted, but then, a dad who had survived cancer and his son, who was just starting college, caught up to me, and we finished the entire route together,” she said. “We just talked and stuff. I think that people around me got me through the ride more than my actual training did.”
Although the overall goal of the event is to raise money for charity, the bike ride itself is also about celebrating the hard work riders have put into fundraising, Allison said. The ride itself does not raise money directly, but participants work before
“It’s a really fun way to thank everyone for donating to the cause and meet people who are supporting the same exact causes as you. Most of the people go there to enjoy the ride, talk to everyone, and learn about their stories because most people who are biking this event have stories or just want to help with the future of this research.”
Like Allison, Lily’s motivation for riding the PMC came from her family.
“For me, the PMC is kind of a family tradition. My dad has ridden about 15 times and my mom about five times, so I grew up hearing about it and cheering them on. When I decided to ride this year, it was to take part in something that my family, including both my brothers, was doing together.”
However, she also found that her drive to finish the race extended beyond just family.
“I finished the ride for the people who I had met or heard about who the PMC had helped. The ride made me more aware of all the people in my life that had been diagnosed or impacted by cancer and all the work that has gone into many of them surviving it.”
A highlight for Lily was riding past a rest stop with “pedal partners,” kids at Dana-Farber who are being treated for cancer, she said.
“It was really incredible to see the direct impact of the ride, and it was motivating to complete it, making me want to do it again in future years.”
The different routes of the PMC all require a fundraising commitment, increasing with the length of the route. From the start of summer until October, riders are tasked with raising money to reach their commitment. Allison supplemented her donations by selling art, including jewelry and hand-painted vinyl. Leo, Quinn, and Max took a more performative approach to fundraising.
“I’ve been busking with my friends to raise money, and that’s been really fun,” Leo said. “I didn’t realize how fun and how good it is to fundraise money for such a good cause.”
This year was Leo’s first time riding the PMC, but he wants to return if he has time next year, he said.
“It’s for an incredible cause. It’s just fun. I enjoy it a lot, and it just made me happy.”
Through the experience, Nathan said he had moments of self-discovery.
“I learned a lot through biking about myself and how to figure it out by myself through tough situations.” But the highlight was coming together as a team to support an important cause, Nathan said.
“When you come together as a community, you can make great stuff happen.”
