Billy Starr
Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) founder and executive director Billy Starr was forever changed when his mother was diagnosed with cancer at 49 years old and sadly lost her battle with melanoma. Five years later, in 1980, then-29-year-old Starr committed to honor her legacy and strength by joining in the fight against cancer. He channeled his passion for cycling by leading a group of 35 friends on a weekend bike ride across the state of Massachusetts, successfully raising $10,200 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute—and thus, the PMC was born.
Today, the PMC is the world's largest single-athletic fundraising event. The event is on pace to exceed $60 million in donations to Dana-Farber in 2019, bringing the 40 year total to more than $710 million. The PMC is Dana-Farber's single largest contributor.
Starr has built a unique organization that performs at a level of proficiency rarely found in either the corporate or nonprofit worlds. The PMC infrastructure consists of 11 full-time and six part-time employees; a 13-person volunteer coordinating staff; a 14-person Board of Trustees; 6,800+ cyclists; 4,000 volunteers; 200 companies, which donate more than $7 million worth of merchandise and services; and more than 400,000 individuals who sponsor PMC cyclists.
Starr has received many honors throughout his time with the PMC. In 1993, the Jimmy Fund honored Starr and the PMC at Fenway Park by awarding him the Tom & Jean Yawkey Memorial Award for outstanding service. In 1998, Starr was the speaker at Babson College's graduate commencement and received an honorary degree for "entrepreneurial vision and leadership." In 2004, Starr was featured in a documentary about entrepreneurs entitled Lemonade Stories, along with corporate moguls Richard Branson, Russell Simmons and Arthur Blank. That same year, Dana-Farber awarded Starr the Sidney Farber Medical Research Award, a very prestigious honor given to those who have made an exceptional contribution to reduce the burden of cancer on society. In 2006, the National Lung Cancer Alliance presented Starr with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Starr received an honorary degree from Bay Path College in 2008 where he also served as commencement speaker. The Friends of Dana-Farber honored Starr in 2010 for his more than 30 years of support and service to the Institute. In 2014, Starr received the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition's Community Leadership Award and an honorary degree from Salem State University where he also served as commencement speaker. In 2017, the PMC was honored as Program of the Year by the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum.
Starr consults on event programming around the globe. He's worked with Pelotonia to benefit the James Cancer Center in Columbus, OH; the Eagles Autism Challenge in Philadelphia, PA; the Dolphin Cycling Challenge for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, FL; Pedal the Cause for the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, MO; the Ride to Conquer Cancer for Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto; Cure on Wheels for the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL; the Aspen Ride for the Cure for the Susan Komen Group in Aspen, CO; and with a cycling fundraising event in Tuscany, Italy.
Starr received his bachelor's degree from the University of Denver in 1973, a Master's in Education from Northeastern University in 1978, an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Babson College in 1998, as well as honorary degrees from Northeastern University, Salem State and Bay Path College. An avid cyclist, skier, and racquet player, Starr has ridden in and fundraised for his own event for each of its 40 years. Starr lives with his wife, Meredith, and daughters, Hannah and Sophia, in Wellesley, MA.
Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) founder and executive director Billy Starr was forever changed when his mother was diagnosed with cancer at 49 years old and sadly lost her battle with melanoma. Five years later, in 1980, then-29-year-old Starr committed to honor her legacy and strength by joining in the fight against cancer. He channeled his passion for cycling by leading a group of 35 friends on a weekend bike ride across the state of Massachusetts, successfully raising $10,200 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute—and thus, the PMC was born.
Today, the PMC is the world's largest single-athletic fundraising event. The event is on pace to exceed $60 million in donations to Dana-Farber in 2019, bringing the 40 year total to more than $710 million. The PMC is Dana-Farber's single largest contributor.
Starr has built a unique organization that performs at a level of proficiency rarely found in either the corporate or nonprofit worlds. The PMC infrastructure consists of 11 full-time and six part-time employees; a 13-person volunteer coordinating staff; a 14-person Board of Trustees; 6,800+ cyclists; 4,000 volunteers; 200 companies, which donate more than $7 million worth of merchandise and services; and more than 400,000 individuals who sponsor PMC cyclists.
Starr has received many honors throughout his time with the PMC. In 1993, the Jimmy Fund honored Starr and the PMC at Fenway Park by awarding him the Tom & Jean Yawkey Memorial Award for outstanding service. In 1998, Starr was the speaker at Babson College's graduate commencement and received an honorary degree for "entrepreneurial vision and leadership." In 2004, Starr was featured in a documentary about entrepreneurs entitled Lemonade Stories, along with corporate moguls Richard Branson, Russell Simmons and Arthur Blank. That same year, Dana-Farber awarded Starr the Sidney Farber Medical Research Award, a very prestigious honor given to those who have made an exceptional contribution to reduce the burden of cancer on society. In 2006, the National Lung Cancer Alliance presented Starr with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Starr received an honorary degree from Bay Path College in 2008 where he also served as commencement speaker. The Friends of Dana-Farber honored Starr in 2010 for his more than 30 years of support and service to the Institute. In 2014, Starr received the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition's Community Leadership Award and an honorary degree from Salem State University where he also served as commencement speaker. In 2017, the PMC was honored as Program of the Year by the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum.
Starr consults on event programming around the globe. He's worked with Pelotonia to benefit the James Cancer Center in Columbus, OH; the Eagles Autism Challenge in Philadelphia, PA; the Dolphin Cycling Challenge for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, FL; Pedal the Cause for the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, MO; the Ride to Conquer Cancer for Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto; Cure on Wheels for the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL; the Aspen Ride for the Cure for the Susan Komen Group in Aspen, CO; and with a cycling fundraising event in Tuscany, Italy.
Starr received his bachelor's degree from the University of Denver in 1973, a Master's in Education from Northeastern University in 1978, an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Babson College in 1998, as well as honorary degrees from Northeastern University, Salem State and Bay Path College. An avid cyclist, skier, and racquet player, Starr has ridden in and fundraised for his own event for each of its 40 years. Starr lives with his wife, Meredith, and daughters, Hannah and Sophia, in Wellesley, MA.
Harnessing Purpose to Create High Performing Teams
How can an employee, team or organization harness passion and purpose to outperform expectations?
Learn from Billy Starr who has been created the "a-thon" industry and motivated regular people, connected simply by their desire to fight cancer, to raise millions of dollars annually for cancer research. Exceeding expectations year after year, the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), dramatically outperforms other fundraising events, while overall industry fundraising is...
