Londonderry’s Galluzzo Crew Stays Devoted to PMC Effort

Londonderry’s Galluzzo family stands as a superb example of how there is strength in numbers, and how people united in a cause can get great things accomplished.

The members of the local family have been taking part in the biggest athletic  fundraising event in the nation – the Pan-Mass Challenge – for more than a dozen years. And during the first days of August this year, seven Galluzzos will play parts in the cancer fundraising cycling event, with brothers Mike, Dom, Anthony, and Matt undertaking long bike rides and sisters Kim, Gianna, and Olivia helping out in volunteer roles.

“As a family, we’ve been participating in the PMC since 2002,” said the mom of the family, Donna Galluzzo. “Each of the boys, when they turned age 15, joined in, now making all four of them alumni riders. Kim has been volunteering for five years now, Gianna for two years, and this is Olivia’s first year. She’s always been at the finish line cheering her brothers along, but is very excited this year to be able to volunteer and be a part of this awesome event.”

The impetus for the Galluzzo family’s involvement in the PMC, year after year, has been the cancer struggle of the Galluzzo patriarch.

“The kids ride and volunteer in honor of their dad, Tony, who has been fighting cancer and the after-effects of all the treatments that go along with it since 1999. He is their inspiration to come back each year and commit to the ride and the necessary fundraising that goes along with it,” said Donna.

This year, brothers Anthony (age 28), Matt (26), Mike (22), and Dom (20) have all committed themselves to the 111-mile, two-day ride from Sturbridge, Mass. to Provincetown on Aug. 1 and 2.

“Each of the boys need to raise $4,500, totaling $18,000 as a family. They do this by sending out over 400 letters to friends in the Londonderry community, as well as family members,” said Donna. “Their sponsors have been extremely generous over the years and continue to support them this year.”

This year, the Galluzzo siblings have joined forces with two uncles and two cousins from Massachusetts who will also be riding, and they’ve formed a team called “The Pedaling Paesans.”

There is a webpage for the Galluzzo group at http://www2.pmc.org/profile/TP0166 [1] that Anthony created, giving details on the family and why they ride. Anyone interested in giving to the cause is encouraged to access that webpage.

Established by Billy Starr in 1980 and under his direction, the PMC has grown considerably  from its modest beginnings into an event that draws 5,500 cyclists from 36 states and eight countries. The PMC generates half of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue, and it’s the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s single largest contributor. Over the past 35 years, PMC cyclists have ridden to raise and contribute $455 million to cancer research.