Budleigh Past and Present

One of the most spectacular charity events on Cape Cod was seen by Brewster residents last weekend when 5,500 cyclists from 36 states and eight countries rode in the 30th annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge http://www.pmc.org/ to raise more than $30 million for cancer research and treatment at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute http://www.dana-farber.org/ through its Jimmy Fund. The riders were aiming to bring the PMC’s total Jimmy Fund contribution beyond the $275 million mark. Connecting athleticism to charitable fundraising was a new idea in 1980 when PMC Founder Billy Starr and 35 of his friends rode across Massachusetts and raised $10,200 for cancer research, writes Jackie Herskovitz. Today, athletic events raise nearly $2 billion each year, funding crucial programs at health and human service organizations across the country. The PMC leads the pack. The most successful athletic fundraising event in the nation, the PMC raises and contributes more than twice the sum of any athl...