PMC Upton Kids Ride to Raise Money for Cancer Care and Research Saturday, June 22

This summer, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) Upton Kids Ride will be one of 38 PMC Kids Rides throughout New England and beyond. The PMC Kids Rides program in 2012 attracted nearly 4,500 cyclists between the ages of 2 and 15, who rode between one and 26 miles in mini-bike-a-thons to raise money for cancer care and research.

The PMC Kids Rides are spokes in the PMC wheel, joining the more than 5,500 adult PMC cyclists in their mission to fund adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The PMC is the two-day, 190-mile bike-a-thon held each August. Since 1980, the PMC has raised $375 million for the Jimmy Fund. PMC Kids Rides offer a way for children to become part of the PMC mission, involving young people in volunteerism and fundraising in a safe and athletic way. The PMC Kids Rides program has raised more than $4 million since it was founded in 1998.

To give the young cyclists an additional push, the PMC recognizes cyclists in the Kids Rides program who raise $250 or more. Riders who meet this goal are honored as Heavy Hitters and receive an official PMC hat, certificate and sticker to place on their helmets to acknowledge their fundraising achievements.

The Upton Kids Ride expects 200 children, ages 2 to 15, to ride 15 miles down Pleasant Street to Henry’s Path through Josiah Drive down to Florence Circle in Upton.  The PMC Upton Kids Ride was started by PMC veterans Chief Thomas Stockwell and Sgt. Lisa Vass who have both lost family to cancer.  Stockwell’s grandson, Owen, who is too young to ride in the PMC, was their inspiration to get involved with the PMC Kids Rides program. The PMC Upton Kids Ride will hold a party after the ride, which will include a silent auction, hamburgers, hotdogs and a deejay.  The ride hopes to raise $25,000.

The PMC Upton Kids Ride will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, at 65 Pleasant Street in Upton. There is a $35 fundraising minimum.  PMC Kids Rides are sponsored by Stop & Shop. Contributions can be made payable to the Pan-Mass Challenge. To register, visithttp://kids.pmc.org. For more information, call Sgt. Lisa Vass at 508-529-3200 or call 800-WE-CYCLE.