Writing a check to support a cause is one way to help fundraising efforts. Riding 1,200 miles across Massachusetts is the road less taken, and a Saratoga County resident will be doing just that to support cancer research.
This will be the second year that Jim Witsch will be participating in
the Pan Massachusetts Challenge, a bike-a-thon that supports the Dana
Farber Institute in Boston, MA through The Jimmy Fund. The PMC was
founded in 1980 and has raised nearly $240 million for cancer research
and treatment at the Dana Farber Institute. This year, more than 5,500
cyclists will chose from seven routes of various lengths designed to
cater to all levels of cyclists.
As a life-long cyclist, Witsch said he joined the PMC last year as a challenge to himself to see if he could still ride 192 miles in two days. As a teenager, he easily biked 200 miles a day during the summers riding 10 miles to a park and then circling a bike route all day long. This year, however, Witsch is returning to support the children he met last year along the ride who are battling cancer.
"As I was riding last year, there were children that I stopped to talk to, and there were signs along the route with names and stories of people who lost their battle with cancer. Some of these really hit home," he said. "There was a sign for one boy, Matthew, who died at the same age that my son turned last year. At that point of the ride I was looking for any reason to get off and walk with my bike until I saw Matthew's sign. That kept me going."
This year's Challenge will take place on August 1 and 2. The route Witsch has chosen to take starts in Sturbridge, MA and ends in Provincetown, MA, approximately 190 miles. All cyclists are required to raise between $1,000 and $4,200 depending on the routes they choose.
When the Challenge was started in 1980, there were 36 riders who raised $10,200 that was given directly to the Jimmy Fund. Last year's challenge saw 5,241 riders who raised $35 million for the fund.
"The start of the ride is incredible -- just to see that mass of humanity dressed alike all taking off on this trip. The ride is very hard though. It's called a challenge for a reason. After a while, your thoughts turn from outside to inward. You are thinking about what you are doing. When you get tired along the way, the crowd cheering on the riders is totally motivation. There is such fanatical support for a non-profit event," Witsch said.
Because of support from events such as the PMC, numbers of pediatric cancer survivors have raised from 20 percent to 80 percent since 1958. Today, Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic remains one of the world's premier centers for pediatric cancer research and treatment. One-hundred percent of the funds raised by the PMC go directly to the Jimmy Fund.
In order to prepare for the upcoming Challenge, Witsch takes his son, Nicholas, along on a tandem bike or he pulls his two daughters, Courtney and Jessica, in a bike trailer. On weekends, his wife, Stephanie, joins him which makes for quality family time, he said. On nice days, he rides about 10 miles to and from work.
"Like everyone, we've had family members suffer or die from cancer. I felt a need to help others who are living in that type of situation. Rather than just contributing money, I wanted to physically join the effort. It's tough to raise that kind of money, especially today, but I've always felt the need to help others that need it," Witsch said.
To donate to Witsch's team, visit www.pmc.org. Witsch's eGift ID is JW0212.
As a life-long cyclist, Witsch said he joined the PMC last year as a challenge to himself to see if he could still ride 192 miles in two days. As a teenager, he easily biked 200 miles a day during the summers riding 10 miles to a park and then circling a bike route all day long. This year, however, Witsch is returning to support the children he met last year along the ride who are battling cancer.
"As I was riding last year, there were children that I stopped to talk to, and there were signs along the route with names and stories of people who lost their battle with cancer. Some of these really hit home," he said. "There was a sign for one boy, Matthew, who died at the same age that my son turned last year. At that point of the ride I was looking for any reason to get off and walk with my bike until I saw Matthew's sign. That kept me going."
This year's Challenge will take place on August 1 and 2. The route Witsch has chosen to take starts in Sturbridge, MA and ends in Provincetown, MA, approximately 190 miles. All cyclists are required to raise between $1,000 and $4,200 depending on the routes they choose.
When the Challenge was started in 1980, there were 36 riders who raised $10,200 that was given directly to the Jimmy Fund. Last year's challenge saw 5,241 riders who raised $35 million for the fund.
"The start of the ride is incredible -- just to see that mass of humanity dressed alike all taking off on this trip. The ride is very hard though. It's called a challenge for a reason. After a while, your thoughts turn from outside to inward. You are thinking about what you are doing. When you get tired along the way, the crowd cheering on the riders is totally motivation. There is such fanatical support for a non-profit event," Witsch said.
Because of support from events such as the PMC, numbers of pediatric cancer survivors have raised from 20 percent to 80 percent since 1958. Today, Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic remains one of the world's premier centers for pediatric cancer research and treatment. One-hundred percent of the funds raised by the PMC go directly to the Jimmy Fund.
In order to prepare for the upcoming Challenge, Witsch takes his son, Nicholas, along on a tandem bike or he pulls his two daughters, Courtney and Jessica, in a bike trailer. On weekends, his wife, Stephanie, joins him which makes for quality family time, he said. On nice days, he rides about 10 miles to and from work.
"Like everyone, we've had family members suffer or die from cancer. I felt a need to help others who are living in that type of situation. Rather than just contributing money, I wanted to physically join the effort. It's tough to raise that kind of money, especially today, but I've always felt the need to help others that need it," Witsch said.
To donate to Witsch's team, visit www.pmc.org. Witsch's eGift ID is JW0212.
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