Acton-Boxboro-Maynard

The Acton-Boxboro-Maynard PMC Kids Rides is back! We hope that you will join us as we raise money for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

The PMC Kids Rides program became an official PMC program in 2005 as a way to include young cyclists in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge's (PMC) mission of raising money for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). Since then, PMC Kids rides have raised over $11 million. The program engages youth in philanthropy, instills the value of working for the benefit of others, and promotes athletic fitness and physical activity.

The PMC Kids Rides program offers children, parents, and neighbors an opportunity to work together to create individual bike-a-thons in neighborhoods, at schools, or in business complexes. These rides enable children to ride their bikes and solicit sponsors to donate money to cancer research. 100% of all money raised at this event and by the children will go directly to DFCI via the PMC.

In 2022, the Pan-Mass Challenge raised $69 million for Dana-Farber. Make the commitment to join us because you want to help cure cancer! This ride is dedicated to all of our loved ones whose lives were cut short by cancer and to those who continue to inspire us as they live with cancer. The Acton-Boxboro-Maynard PMC Kids Ride will bring us "closer by the mile" to a cure!

We look forward to seeing you at the ride and thank you for your support!

Your Coordinators,
Leigh D'Agostine, Dana Greenberg, Julie James and Mary Lavene

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PMC Kids Ride Schedule at a glance for June 4, 2023

• 6:30 am: Volunteers begin to arrive
• 8:30 to 9:30 am: Check-In/Registration (pick up goodie bag with t-shirt, water bottle and bike number)
• 8:30 to 9:30 am: Bike check and decorating – have your bike and helmet inspected by Pedal Power before the ride and then decorate it!
• 9 am: Opening Ceremony
• 9:30 to 11 am: Ride on your chosen bike route
• 9 am to 12 pm: Fun at NARA park! Enjoy music, food, face painting, crafts, bike decorating, games, and cheering on your friends!

The Day of the Ride in Detail:

Designated parking for the event - The entire event will be held up by Miracle Field. Part of the upper parking lot will be closed off as the Big Kid ride will go through there. If parking is full, overflow parking will be at Nagog Park Drive. Follow Town Forest Trail Walk back to the fields. Parking attendants will be on location to help direct you. 

• 6:30 am and on – Volunteer Check-In. Check in at NARA Park by the upper parking lots. Meet with Crew leaders. Review job expectations/responsibilities. Please be prompt on your arrival, and wear comfortable shoes. We will provide you with a volunteer t-shirt that you must wear. Please indicate your size when signing up online. 
• 8:30 to 9:30 am – Rider Check In/Registration. Pick up t-shirts, water bottles, and bike numbers. Hand in money raised through fundraising in the form of a check. We will have envelopes and labels for each rider. PMC Kids prefers, however, that donations be processed on-line through the website. Please attach bike number to your child’s bike. Please bring bike to designated bike parking area and take note of where the bike is parked.
• 8:30 to 9:30 am – Bike and Helmet Check and Bike Decorating. Bike and Helmet Check by Pedal Power. Have a professional check your bike and helmet for safety. Once you've had your bike checked, feel free to decorate it with all sorts of fun supplies!
• 9 am – Opening Ceremony at NARA Park by the Miracle Field. We will recognize Heavy Hitters and take a group photo.
• 9:30 to 11 am – Bike Riding begins. Little Tykes will start the ride down the NARA Park loop towards age Miracle Field. The rest of the riders will start in staggered groups. Riders will travel the loop as many times as they would like. There will be volunteers set up around the loop and bike marshals looping around on bikes.
  
  Remember though, THIS IS A RIDE NOT A RACE! Only volunteers and riders should be on the walking path. The Younger kid ride will occur simultaneously as the big kid ride, with a loop around Miracle Field. This loop allows parents full view of their children to assist with newer riders.
• 9 am to 12 pm – Fun at NARA Park. There will be food, face painting, music, crafts, bike decorating, tattoos and much more!

• NARA park walking path: This big loop is for the "Big Kids" riding on two-wheeled bikes.
• Miracle Field loop: This loop around Miracle Field is a smaller path for kids riding big wheels, trikes, bikes with training wheels or just starting out on two wheels.
• Virtual Rider: Virtual riders are those who would prefer to ride on their own and not in person at the event. Virtual riders who raise $50 or more will receive an official PMC Kids Rides t-shirt and water bottle at the end of June for spring rides or at the end of September for fall rides. Virtual riders have no registration fee or fundraising commitment.

SAFETY FIRST!

ALL RIDERS (CHILDREN AND ADULTS) MUST WEAR PROPERLY FITTING AND SECURED BIKE HELMETS. Representatives from Pedal Power Bike Shop will be on hand to provide complimentary bike safety checks and handle minor bike repairs. Please review Bike Path Safety and Etiquette prior to the ride.

Parents will need to create an account or log in with an existing account to register their child or family. When creating an account, please enter the parent's information first, as there will be a separate section in registration to enter the child's information.

Under "Event Option" parents will be able to select a route for each child. Riders have a $20 registration fee and a $40 fundraising minimum. Parents will need to sign a waiver and agree to the fundraising commitment in order to complete registration. In-person riders will receive their rider kit at the ride.

Virtual Rider
Parents will be able to select the “Virtual Rider” route if their child will not be riding in person but still wants to support the PMC Kids Rides program. Virtual riders can ride in their own neighborhood on the day of the ride or whenever they'd like! If a virtual rider raises $50 or more, they will receive an official PMC Kids Rides t-shirt and water bottle at the end of June for spring rides and at the end of September for fall rides. 

Once registration is complete for both in-person and virtual riders, parents will receive a confirmation email with information on how to log into their management page to customize donation pages and to track donations. 

The PMC strongly recommends that all participants – including riders who are eligible – be vaccinated to attend a PMC Kids Ride.

100 percent of all rider-raised dollars go directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Donate online or by check. Checks can be made payable to the Pan-Mass Challenge or PMC. Please send all checks to:

PMC Kids Rides
77 4^th Ave
Needham, MA 02494

Make sure that the rider's name is listed so they can receive credit!

The PMC Kids Rides program follows all public health regulations and guidelines for your area.

General Safety Tips!

1. Wear a properly-fitted helmet (children are required to wear helmets when participating).
2. Ride in control – this is not a race.
3. Hands should remain on handlebars.
4. Never wear any kind of headphones. You need to hear clearly.
5. Follow the ride guides and volunteers.
6. When passing other rides, make sure to yell “on your left!” Never pass riders on the right.
7. If you need to slow down or stop to cross an intersection or obstacle, yell “slowing” or “stopping” to alert those behind you.

Each PMC Kids Ride has a licensed medical professional on site. 

Get the entire family involved and support the event by volunteering! Be a ride marshal, work at a water stop, help distribute snacks and more. Volunteers will need to create an account and then will be able to select the position(s) that they would like.

The PMC strongly recommends that all participants – including volunteers who are eligible – be vaccinated to attend a PMC Kids Ride.

The PMC Pedal Partner Program is a wonderful way for riders to connect with a child who has been affected by cancer. PMC Pedal Partners are pediatric oncology patients at the Jimmy Fund Clinic who are paired with PMC Kids Rides or PMC teams.

If you know a child in treatment at the Jimmy Fund who is interested in being a PMC Pedal Partner for a PMC Kids Ride, please contact Sophie Muggia, PMC Pedal Partner Program Coordinator, at sophie@pmc.org

Artwork by a patient at the Jimmy Fund Clinic. 

We extend huge thanks to the local businesses, organizations, and individuals that have helped make the 2023 Acton-Boxboro-Maynard PMC Kids Ride a success through their generous support. Please note who our business sponsors are and return the favor by thanking and patronizing them.

The Acton-Boxboro-Maynard PMC Kids Rides relies on local sponsors to help keep costs low and so that the PMC can continue to donate 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. If you or your company are interested in becoming a sponsor or donating items (pizza, ice cream, snacks, sporting tickets, gift cards, baskets, etc), please click on the button below.