By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer

The Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) is a bike-a-thon that annually raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country. Founded in 1980 by Billy Starr to raise money for the Jimmy Fund, the PMC raised a staggering 75 million dollars last year bringing the lifetime fundraising for the Dan-Farber Cancer Institute to over one billion dollars. 

Each summer, thousands of riders and volunteers from 43 states and 12 countries participate in the PMC, all with a common goal: to find a cure for cancer. One Hundred percent of all rider-raised funds go directly to cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. The PMC is Dana-Farber’s single largest supporter and is 66 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.

While there were more than 6500 riders taking to the streets on their bikes the first weekend of August, there were another 3500 volunteers making sure those riders got to their final destination. Holliston’s Thomas Schuler is one of those such volunteers. 

Originally, from New Jersey, Schuler was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2001, treated in 2002 and has been in remission for the past 23 years. Following his cancer scare he joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as part of their Team in Training, a program that helped raise money to pioneer groundbreaking research and advancements in the fight against cancer for Leukemia and Lymphoma. ‘Curing Cancer is a team sport.’ 

The nationwide program helps individuals get ready for race day whether its running, walking, biking, participating in a triathlon, hiking or climbing with professional coaching and training customized to your specific event. Schuler took part in the program from 2004-2017 before he moved to Holliston in 2018.

Once he had settled in Massachusetts and having been involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for so long in was only inevitable that he get involved with the biggest fundraiser in the area.

“I am not sure what prompted me to get involved with the PMC,” he said. “I was looking for something to do and being a long-time cyclist and cancer survivor I decided to get involved.”

Unlike the majority of PMC participants, Schuler is not raising money on his bike over two days in August, instead he’s manning the Medfield water stop, something he has done for the past five years. Here he is handing out water and snacks to the riders, giving them the support they need to continue while meeting tons of interesting people along the way.

“Over the years I’ve meet an 80-year-old grandfather riding with his grandson; a group of high school football teammates wearing their old uniform numbers and a group from Vermont, who was riding in an event in South Carolina before coming up to the PMC,” Schuler said. “I’ve meet so many people over the years. It is pretty cool to be part of something like this that helps so many people.”

One of the memorable parts of being a member of the PMC family was a few years ago when Schuler was selected to be part of that years contingency of participants in the Living Proof ride that is made up of survivors who get to ride their bikes around Fenway Park. It was a big thrill for the Holliston resident.

Although Schuler has been volunteering for the PMC since 2021 he has never gotten on his bike and rode the event in some capacity.

“I’ve done this sort of thing when I was in New Jersey, but never here,” he said. “I’ve thought about it, but the fundraising and distance would be tough; I’m getting older now and really enjoy my current role meeting and supporting all the cyclists, but you never know.”

While the PMC relies on its fundraising riders, it would not be possible without the thousands of volunteers, like Schuler, who donate their time and energy to the success of the ride and its riders.