November 6, 2008 PMC presents $35 million check to the Jimmy Fund Play video

(Ally Donnelly, NECN: Boston, MA) - The 29th annual Pan Mass Challenge check presentation ceremony was held Thursday night in Boston.

The event started in 1980 with 36 riders and they raised just over $10,000. Fast forward to summer 2008 and 5,500 riders raised $35 million for cancer research.

It is a culmination of a hard year of work. The Pan Mass Challenge donating $35 million to Boston's Dana Farber cancer institute. The PMC, a 192 mile fundraising bike ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown has been cranking the pedals for 29 years. To date the PMC has raised $236 million dollars. 100 percent of every dollar goes directly to cancer research.

Pan Mass. Challenge founder and executive director Billy Starr said the event exceeded its fundraising goal, despite a tough economy. He said that shows people understand the importance of corporate and public funding for cancer research.

Material from the Associated Press is included in this report.