The PMC Wilmington - Andover 12th Annual Kids Ride On May 21

WILMINGTON, MA -- Get ready to ride!

The PMC Wilmington - Andover 12th Annual Kids Ride on May 21 (rain or shine) involves many bikes, many kids and one mission: Find a cure for cancer.

Last year the ride raised $12,500.

The ride will continue to be headquartered at the Boutwell Elementary School in Wilmington.

Organizers are hoping to draw 200 children, pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, to ride continuous loops beginning by the Boutwell Elementary School, heading down Carter Lane, continuing past the Wilmington Middle School and West Elementary School grounds then returning back to the Boutwell (approximately one mile).

Children can ride the course as many times as they can in the allotted time.

From 9 -9:45 a.m., students in Kindergarten through third grade will ride the course.

From 10 a.m - 11 a.m. , 4th through 6th graders will ride.

Children can stop whenever they want, and/or take short breaks and get back on the course as long as time permits for their age group.

There will also be a route for "tykes on trikes” set up on the Boutwell school tennis courts from 9 a.m. to approximately 10 a.m. There will be free face painting, music, and refreshments during the ride.

Kids of all ages find fun, camaraderie, and inspiration in bringing us closer by the mile to the cure for cancer with donations to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Riders who turn in their $15 registration fee and raise an additional $25 will receive a PMC Kids t-shirt, water bottle, and "goodie” bag.

To help us reach our goal of raising $18,000 this year, organizers will be rewarding kids who do a fabulous job with fundraising.

Items from the Pan-Mass Challenge organization will be raffled off to those raising additional funds. In order to enter the raffle for free prizes, you must raise the required minimum of $25 above the registration fee. The more money you raise, the more chances you get to win the raffles.

A special prize from the Pan Mass Challenge organization will be given to "Heavy Hitters” who raise $250 or more, and the PMC will have a different prize for our most successful fundraisers who reach the "Breakaway" level of $700 plus raised.

The PMC Kids-Wilmington Ride was started by Sue Hendee and Carolyn Priem, and has collected just under $170,000 to help fight cancer!

Hendee is a 27 year PMC rider and a physical education teacher in Wilmington. Priem's son was treated at the Jimmy Fund Clinic and is now a healthy high school student.

Five years ago we welcomed Sheila Salois as another coordinator who has taken over for Carolyn. Sheila is a physical education teacher at Andover High School and Carolyn continues to help us out at the refreshment tent the day of the ride.

Courtesty photo by PMC Wilmington-Andover Kids Ride.