Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund Establish Emergency Response Fund

Pan-Mass Challenge makes $4 million commitment to support fund

BOSTON – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund have established an Emergency Response Fund (ERF) to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Dana-Farber. Dana-Farber’s largest single donor, the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), has committed to contribute $3 million of unrestricted giving to this initiative by May 1. Once PMC riders raise $3 million, a matching gift of $1 million will be contributed to Dana-Farber by a generous PMC rider and donor for a total of $4 million in support of the Emergency Response Fund (ERF) efforts to address the COVID-19 healthcare crisis.

Dana-Farber remains deeply committed to providing cancer patients with exceptional care during this challenging time. The Emergency Response Fund will provide resources for:

• Unanticipated and significant costs to keep our cancer patients safe and prevent the spread of infection as they seek and receive lifesaving treatments.
• New expenses for immediate implementation of telemedicine technology that allow patients and families to visit with their Dana-Farber care team virtually, from the safety of their homes.
• Pressing financial strains felt by patients, their partners, and caregivers who lose employment and/or experience disruptions in dependent care due to school and other related closures.

The Pan-Mass Challenge is the nation’s most successful single-event athletic fundraiser and donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber. The PMC has been a champion of Dana-Farber’s mission for 40 years and is now leading the way in supporting Dana-Farber’s efforts to keep patients safe and healthy during these extraordinary times.

“Our mission to support Dana-Farber in the fight against cancer has never changed, and considering these extraordinary unprecedented times, it must accelerate,” said Billy Starr, PMC Founder and Executive Director. “The PMC community understands the critical needs of those battling cancer during this health crisis and wants to help the fastest way we can – by providing funding that will make an immediate impact.”

“The PMC’s unwavering commitment to Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund continues to shine and is especially appreciated during these uncertain times. Cancer doesn’t stop even during these difficult days. This money is essential to Dana-Farber’s efforts to continue to provide world-class cancer care and additional support to our patients and their families,” said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dana-Farber.

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. It is ranked in the top 5 of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals for both adult and pediatric cancer care. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. We provide the latest in cancer care for adults through Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world.  

About the Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children's Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.

About the Pan-Mass Challenge

The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) is a bike-a-thon that today raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the world. The 41^stPMC will take place on August 1 and 2, 2020. The PMC was founded in 1980 by Billy Starr, who remains the event’s executive director, an annual cyclist and a fundraiser. The PMC has since raised $717 million for adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The event donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause, generating 57 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue as Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor. The PMC has successfully melded support from committed cyclists, volunteers, corporate sponsors and individual contributors, all of which are essential to the PMC's goal and model: to attain maximum fundraising efficiency while increasing its annual gift. The PMC’s hope and aspiration is to provide Dana-Farber's doctors and researchers with the necessary resources to discover cures for all cancers. For more information on the Pan-Mass Challenge, visit www.pmc.org.