Pedaling for a purpose

Jun 17, 2025

Kids bike in last year’s PMC Cranberry Country bike ride at Old Colony. Photo by Brendan Cassidy

ROCHESTER — It’s time to take off the training wheels as the 2025 Cranberry Country PMC Kids Ride approaches.

On Sunday, June 22, kids between the ages of 2 and 16 are invited to participate in the 2025 Cranberry Country PMC Kids Ride to raise money for cancer research and treatment.

The ride will be held at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School at 476 North Avenue.

All proceeds from the race go to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Participants can choose from three different routes to ride, which include a three-mile route through Rochester, a route around Old Colony and the tykes route. Riders can also do multiple laps around their selected courses.

The three-mile route goes through Rochester. Volunteers will ride with the kids and will be along the route to monitor the ride. Police details will also be at major intersections and volunteers will be in vehicles to help with any bike failures.

The route around Old Colony goes around the school and is approximately a half mile in length. This route is for younger riders who have training wheels or ride scooters.

The tyke route is for the youngest riders on tricycles and small scooters and will be set up in one of Old Colony’s parking lots.

This event also has a virtual option for participants to ride on their own if they wish to. These participants don’t have to pay a registration fee and don’t have to meet a fundraising commitment. Virtual riders who raise at least $50 will receive an official PMC Kids Rides t-shirt and water bottle at the end of June.

Registration and check-in begin at 8 a.m., with the opening ceremonies beginning at 9:40 a.m. Following the opening ceremonies, the three-mile route will start at 10 a.m., the Old Colony route will begin at 10:05 a.m. and the tykes route will begin at 10:10 a.m.

An awards ceremony will be held at 11:15 followed by a post ride party, which will feature a rock-climbing wall, music, pizza, ice cream and more.

Donations can be made online or by check, with checks made payable to the Pan-Mass Challenge or PMC. Checks should be sent to PMC Kids Rides, 774th Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494. The rider’s name should be listed so they receive credit for the donation.

To register for the ride online and for more information, visit https://kids.pmc.org/cranberrycountry.

The registration fee is $20 and all participants are required to fundraise a minimum of $40 by Sept. 1.