WALLINGFORD, CT--(Marketwired - Jul 22, 2015) - With close to a million dollars raised in the battle against cancer, Burns & McDonnell's Team Courage-Coneheads will once again hit the road, Aug. 1-2, for the eighth consecutive year at the 2015 Pan Mass Challenge.
Rob Young, the driving force behind this year's 33-member team, will once again be out in front leading his fellow "coneheads" on the 192-mile route from Sturbridge to Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod.
"We have a lot of fun with the ride each year, but of course the ride is secondary, the fundraising is the most crucial part of the event. We always remember there is a very serious and urgent reason we're doing it," Rob says.
The Team Courage "coneheads" -- so-called because of the small orange traffic cones each proudly displays on top of their riding helmets -- has committed to raise $250,000 this year. The 33 riders from Burns & McDonnell and their partners are asking friends, co-workers and family members to help them with their personal commitments to the Pan Mass Challenge as it strives to reach its overall goal of raising $45 million this year. The PMC is one of the most unique and successful fundraising events in the country, with 100 percent of donated funds going directly to the Jimmy Fund in support of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. When the team hits their goal they will have collectively raised over one million dollars to support the fight against cancer.
Giving back to the community has become second nature for Rob, a Collinsville, CT resident whose day job is to serve as the Regional Manager for the Burns & McDonnell Environmental Studies and Permitting group in Wallingford. His motivation is the memory of his father, who was diagnosed with cancer when Rob was in the 5th grade. After his father's death, he made it his mission to make a difference by doing whatever he could to help find a cure.
For his fundraising efforts and other year-round commitments to give back to his community, Rob received the 2015 Community Leadership Award from Burns & McDonnell. The award is given each year to the one Burns & McDonnell employee-owner, among 5,200 nationwide, who best exemplifies the company's commitment to service and community outreach.
"My story isn't all that different from others on our team," says Rob. "Many of us have had loved ones touched by various forms of cancer and we all agree it's time to find a cure."
This year, Team Courage is dedicating its ride to 14-year-old Raphael (Raffy) Edwards of Brockton, Mass. The team had the pleasure of recently celebrating Raffy's courage and spirit at the 2015 Pedal Party Kickoff Party in Boston. Joining Raffy and the team were his grandmother, twin sister Gabby, mother Edith and father James.
At age 2, Raffy and Gabby were normal toddlers learning to walk and talk, but about this time, Raffy began having difficulty walking. Despite doctor's assurances that this was normal, Raffy's mother's "mommy radar" kicked in and she took him for evaluations at Mass General Hospital. An MRI scan revealed that Raffy had a large brain tumor that required immediate surgery.
The recovery was long and arduous but the journey was far from over. Raffy's tumor turned out to be a very rare and aggressive form of cancer. Over the next 12 years, Raffy underwent chemotherapy, radiation and four additional surgeries, the most recent in January 2015.
Today, Raffy is cancer-free and no longer undergoing any treatments. He is excited and proud to join Team Courage on their ride for a cure and humbly requests donations to help others who are still on their journey.
Fundraising is ongoing and donations can be made at the following web address: http://www.pmc.org/profile/tc0147.
There will also be a charity event at Flatbread's of Canton, CT on July 28th to continue the fundraising effort.
About Burns & McDonnell
Burns & McDonnell is a company made up of more than 5,200 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists and consultants with offices across the country and throughout the world. In New England, more than 300 Burns & McDonnell employee owners serve clients from its main offices in Wallingford, CT and Portland, ME and project offices throughout the region. Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned and is proud to be No. 15 on FORTUNE's 2015 List of 100 Best Companies to Work For. Burns & McDonnell currently ranks Number 3 on the Engineering News-Record list of Top 20 power engineering firms. For more information visit http://burnsmcd.com
Contact Information:
Contact:
Roger Dick
Burns & McDonnell
816-822-3339