For 10 years, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been not only sponsored the Pan-Mass Challenge, but it has also been an essential partner with PwC supporting the PMC as volunteers and riders. Partner and 10-year rider, Paul Kennedy, joins the podcast to talk about his involvement, taking over as Team PwC captain for the organization, and how PwC is reimagining the PMC for 2020.
Turning Reimagined into Reality / PMC webinar
For 10 years, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been not only sponsored the Pan-Mass Challenge, but it has also been an essential partner with PwC supporting the PMC as volunteers and riders. Partner and 10-year rider, Paul Kennedy, joins the podcast to talk about his involvement, taking over as Team PwC captain for the organization, and how PwC is reimagining the PMC for 2020.
Turning Reimagined into Reality / PMC webinar
This is The PMC Podcast with Kristin Brandt, and Bill Alfano, the Pan-Mass Challenge, raising money for life saving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Now here's Kristin Brandt and Bill Alfano.
Kristin Brandt :You're listening to The PMC Podcast. This is Kristin Brandt, and I am here with my co host Bill Alfano. Hello Bill.
Bill Alfano :Hello, Kristin. We have a great guest today, Paul Kennedy. He is a partner over at PwC. He leads the mergers and acquisition practice for financial services. He's been there for 20 years, and what we all find amazing. He's a 10 year PMC rider, and he is taking on the duties of team captain for Team PwC this year for the first time, so it's a great conversation with him about his journey to the PMC. How the PMC is part of the corporate culture at PwC. And what goes into the riding team, the volunteer team fundraising, it's really a great listen.
Kristin Brandt :All right, well, let's take a break and we will come back with the interview. All right, we are here with Paul Kennedy, a PMC rider and representative with PwC. We've just talked about how we're very good at confusing pm and pw. But thank you for joining us today, Paul.
Paul Kennedy :Thanks, Kristen. Good to be here.
Kristin Brandt :Let's start with just having you tell us a little bit about yourself and your connections to PMC.
Paul Kennedy :Great, well, I work with Price Waterhouse Coopers that's the PwC partner. And I lead our m&a practice and financial services firm for about 20 years I'm a this year will be my 10th year as a rider with PMC have always been a cyclist for many, many years. I ride out of Cohasset where my home is Every weekend and during the weeks when I can with the team and it's been been very different lately, as we know with a lot of the social distancing and the issues that we have with the pandemic has been getting better than getting out on the road which has been nice with my, my cycling group we go from Cohasset to Duxbury and back and I've had a couple of really nice rides so but my, my connection to the, to the PMC has been pretty consistent over the last 10 years where got interested in it, many of them many of the folks that I ride with been with the PMC for 25 plus years should have always been with a try to be with a PMC. And finally, when Price Waterhouse Coopers decided to get involved and get sponsored, I got the got the bug and haven't looked back since then. So So this being my 10th year I'm going to celebrate that with the extra long reimagined PMC which includes so what the many people know as the day zero and so the 200 miles will turn into a 300 mile journey starting on that Friday of PMC weekend. Folks, join me. So, you know, I can kick out. It's funny when you're when you're a rider. And when you ride, you know, as much as I do. It's like 100 miles. It's like, okay, no, no big deal. I'll do a 65-70 mile ride back to back. So, you know, making that I quote unquote, challenge at 200 miles. Some people say, hey, Paul, you can do that. in your sleep wel, I'll do 300 miles this year, back to back to back. So let's see if I can pull that off.
Kristin Brandt :If anybody said to me, you can do that in your sleep. I'd be like, you could do it. So what are some of it? You know, you said that you were a rider before this and that you had already you always thought you should be involved with the PMC. What are some of the reasons that you you know, beyond the PwC connection that drive you to join?
Paul Kennedy :Yeah, it's it's I think, it's probably common story for most people that I found that are involved with the PMC, and that is that cancer has affected all of us some way with family with friends. And it's a terrible disease. We all know that and the fight against cancer has been going on for many, many years. And the good news is, is that things have improved. So it's a way in a very powerful way to be involved with a world class organization like the Dana-Farber that shares all of its great research around the globe for good for finding cures. I think 35 out of last 45 therapeutics and cures for cancer came from Dana-Farber. So that kind of productivity that kind of impact is is something that I'd like to be associated with what Price Waterhouse Coopers wants to be associated with as well, where we can help make that impact by raising funds, raising awareness, being involved with community locally, so we got 100% behind the PMC, as a firm We're one of the biggest corporate rider teams and sponsors. And for us it's it's a it's a commitment that I think we'll have for many, many years because of that because of the impact that it makes. You know so from a personal level for me it's it's certainly like many people drives me to to contribute. It's one of the major charities that I get involved with throughout the year. And I just love it and then just the the, as you know, the culture of the riders it's it's something that's just special that we have this celebration during the Pan-Mass Challenge weekend, I think will continue this year, we'll have that celebration, which we're seeing the run up for that. So while we might not all be together like we normally are, in Sturbridge and Wellesley and the other rider rider locations and being in Bourne, we won't have that this year, we'll still be together. And that I think drives us that drives us as a firm. We certainly have a huge challenge this year, because of one that we dropped the minimum so that's that's, I think that was an appropriate decision. by Billy with PMC, but it's hard. We know it's going to be a huge challenge to meet our goals. And so we have to double down and, and renew our commitment to this this reimagined year.
Bill Alfano :And when when Paul talks about the PwC commitment to the PMC, Kristin, it was a little downplayed. I mean, you know, this year alone, I think there's just over 60 riders just over 30 volunteers registered. You know, they they're the Babson site sponsor. So anybody coming in and out of Babson at all, from Friday to Sunday, of PMC weekend is greeted by just these wonderful people from PwC. And then if the big team of riders as well and that team has raised just over $3 million, just since 2011, so they are in at pretty much every level. So wanted to give PwC they're do on that as well. But I you know, I'm really interested in Paul as a rider and I know you're a team captain this year. Is that right Paul? First year team captain?
Paul Kennedy :That's right. First year Team Captain might as well do a pandemic year. Right?
Bill Alfano :We will try not to blame you for what's going on. Personally, we will not put that on you. But Kristin was just talking about communication before you got out. We were talking about communication. She's with Team Perry, and about how they meet and how what information they communicate and how they motivate each other, especially this year. So I'm kind of interested from that from the team captain perspective. And then obviously, I'd love to get into a little more about you personally, but what kind of things are you doing this year is PwC doing and you as the captain, to motivate, inspire to fundraise? I'd love to hear more about that.
Paul Kennedy :Sure. Yeah. A few things we were we're trying to reimagine the best we can we have a couple of of events internally that we just launched. To get ready and some fundraising one is a cooking class if you can believe it on how to fuel yourself, for the for the rides a virtual ride So we have one of our Price Waterhouse Coopers senior managers who is also a nutritionist. Give a class for folks. And if you participate in that class we'd like you to also we're asking our team members to invite clients that may be PMCers, and if you do participate in the class to fundraise or to minimum make a donation for that. And then we're also involved. Yeah, so pretty cool. And then there's the yoga class that we're doing also on peloton for folks and another fundraiser. And then recently, two Saturdays ago we teamed up with it was Ropes & Gray and Advent International who are clients of ours, and they had a peloton event that we all participated in. So we had about 30 riders. And there was some competitions to the ones that participated the most got a prize, the highest output in terms of wattage, we had the the number two female for for that category. So I think we got $1,000 for that into our account, but everyone who participated they donated I think we raised I think around $3,000 for that, you know, that's small. Right? So you know, so good events, you know, they're not knocked out of the park, but they're good and people are participating and it's it gets, it gets folks together. I think the big weekend is still going to be PMC weekend, we're still asking folks to reach out to their donors and ask ask the question. It never it never hurts to ask. And we know that there are many people that have other needs. Many people have lost their jobs. families and friends are certainly suffering through what we're seeing with the pandemic and a lot of the social unrest. So we get that certainly, but cancer doesn't wait. We know that. So what can we do to help you know, continue to get people involved. So we're trying to be as creative as we can with some of the things that I mentioned was still reaching out to our partners to support the riders and we just sent out an email to all of our our partners in Boston. For a donation, and what we ask for is is $500 per partner. And so if you are watching this podcast, your PwC partner and you haven't donated, please
Bill Alfano :addresses and we will print them publicly if you do, please, we will,
Paul Kennedy :please please dig deep as I like
Kristin Brandt :to I was gonna say, um, you know, this week we were talking about this with our team just last night right, the the hesitancy Some of us may have to ask because we don't know what's happening in people's lives. We don't know what their financial situation is, and how and I think he spoke a little bit to that, you know, how do we as riders kind of get past that discomfort because there is so much riding on us right like because there's not a vaccine for cancer. And and this is, if anything, the pressures on Dana-Farber because of the pandemic, right, like the need is even greater.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah, I make the point that in the past The Dana-Farber has had a surplus, you know, this year, it's a significant deficit. That's a big deal. And a lot of people are suffering. So it is hard. I think, just to ask the question, if you get a No, that's okay. And just, you know how, whatever way you take it, my style is always just ask the question and just make the appeal and be very positive. And, frankly, lead lead by example, as well. They see, they see how I'm involved every year they see how much how much I contribute to the to the Pan-Mass and let's let's face it, people like to support the people that they that they like, and you know, if you go positive with your, with your friends and family and other folks that you know, that you work with, only good things can happen from that. So you can't get a yes or no unless you ask the question. Right.
Bill Alfano :Right. And I think if like peer to peer fundraising is most of the people you're asking. You do know, at some level, it isn't just, you know, a blanket email coming out from an organization which you know, pretty much Have people on your list of who you're looking for donations from? And to your point, you know, you're asking in a way, which is I'm assuming you either know them really well and say, Hey, you know, I know you're working, I know things are good, let's go. Or you're you are doing it a little lighter with like, Hey, I'm not necessarily sure about what your situation is right now. But I wanted to let you know I'm still fundraising through the PMC for Dana Farber, the mission is important that causes important if you can give give. and I think you're 100% right, we say it all the time and me being the one who reinforces this probably waters it down but yeah, the ask has to be made it's a no is fine, but the Ask has to be made to get yeses.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah, you you cast a wide a wide net and, and you do have to tune that ask depending upon your knowledge of the person and your personal relationship with them. For sure. One of my one of my one of my partners, actually he sends out 2000 people In his in his contact book, just humbly listen. And he consistently raises 10 plus thousand every year as a result from just asking the question. So the lesson learned there,
Bill Alfano :and I need more contacts.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah.
Kristin Brandt :You might have to leave your house Bill.
Bill Alfano :Yeah, I guess I guess I leave my house
Sundin Sports Marketing (sponsor) :The PMC Podcast is supported by Sundin Sports Marketing, putting your ideas into action at Sundin sports.com.
Kristin Brandt :One of the things that I think you just spoke to and maybe we can talk a little bit more is in this year of PMC reimagined how so many of us are being more creative to a better fundraising and maybe you can speak to just kind of the thought process that you or your team is going through on how you can continue that creativity. You know, we can't really do the things we did in the past. was saying, fundraising and what each week was kind of great because I'd be like, Did my did my training ride? Don't forget to give peace out and now, I'm not training. Right. So,
Paul Kennedy :yeah, so it's it's getting back to the core. That's where we started in our discussion is just what are we? What are we trying to do? What's our objective? What's our mission? Billy in the team gave us some really good guidance with the with the notes that went out. So I would, I would recommend that if you haven't seen some of the correspondences come out from the Pan-Mass Challenge a lot of great ideas there. We also reached out to other teams like team banks, which I'm friendly with and saw what was some of the things they were doing that were outside of cycling. So the idea is about, about yoga, the ideas about the fuel, your ride and cooking class, that kind of thing. Those those ideas came from outside and we brought them in to to our team and then I asked all the folks that our core team that we have, it's about a dozen folks that that organize This The Price Waterhouse Coopers machine for the Pan-Mass Challenge, I just asked them, I said, Guys, let's just get creative. And they came back with a lot of good ideas like that how we can make it happen, you know, when what the timing is for the ask. I thought that the timing of the asked to the partners just recently was good timing is everything when you make the Ask certainly. So you have to do that. So our team was very helpful in thinking through that and creative about just what's the when are the asks going to happen and managing it like, like a project like that.
Bill Alfano :I think some of it is just you hit on something that's just brilliant that we're trying to accomplish at the PMC, which is that sense of community, it almost doesn't matter. If it's a cooking class, if it's yoga, if it's a ride with you know, another law firm, it's that keeping the team or keeping the riders together and reminding them of how much they do love the PMC and the mission and the community. That's that was the challenge out of the box. It wasn't so much About what what are we going to tell people it was more about? What are we going to do to give people these these pieces of communication, these impact videos, whether it be the podcast, but give them things to build it to let them be reminded of the PMC community that we're so lucky that our riders and volunteers sponsors donors, they do really rally around. So your the fact that you're doing that at a team level, and with other teams, it's it's tremendous to hear because I think that is it. If it's not Top of Mind, it's not so much that people aren't fundraising, it's that they just might not be even thinking about it. So thank you for doing what you're doing to keep it Top of Mind at team PwC as well as the other teams you're doing things with.
Paul Kennedy :Thanks, Bill. It's interesting, too. I'm thinking about it also how to make it maybe a little bit more exciting for folks or relate back to some of the tough times that we've had as a PMC community. So if you remember But what's your reaction when you see this?
Bill Alfano :Rain Rain cold rain, cold rain?
Paul Kennedy :I was hypothermic.
Bill Alfano :Yeah. Hey, Paul is holding up to 2014. Jersey right now, as you'll only be hearing this not seeing it. It was the 35th year. For those of you who did ride that year, as every rider has reminded me, it had much less to do with the rain and everything to do with the cold. It was unbelievable low 60s I think, and pouring driving rain all day. And it's the one that Billy was never worried about riders coming back the next year. He knew it. He's like, oh, everyone's coming back. We don't have to worry about registration at all. Anybody who rode that one. It's a badge of courage. And they were coming back because they knew the weather had to at least be better.
Paul Kennedy :That's right. So using I'm thinking of using that shirt for those folks that remember that whole story is that is that call to arms race for us,
Kristin Brandt :I think as a rider so often, especially Like I had kind of tough PMC last year, just pain wise. And as I was riding, I was like, Look, this is just one bad day, right? I'm having one bad day and and you ride by all the Pedal Partner signs, you ride by all the signs and people saying, like, I'm here, because you were I'm in treatment, and you're like, yeah, I'm just having one bad day, maybe two bad days, I'm reminded why we're riding and if I can get through that, I feel like, that's the least I can do.
Paul Kennedy :Totally. Totally. Yeah, my motivation. I tell people that story is very similar to that, that when I get up and people say, how do you get up every morning to work out because I just do them? I'm very consistent with that. And I said, well, the one thing I would say to myself as I said, get out of bed, because you can, it's, it is it's very powerful and it's very, you know, it's it's what it what, it's what motivates me for sure. And so whatever it is that motivates you to do that, just remember, Count your blessings, how fortunate you are to not have cancer to not have disease. You know, not have hardship. And if you if you do use that use that situation to your benefit. And so so for me the fact that I can I can do this every day is just, you know, it's very unfortunate, but I can I can do that, you know, use the
Kristin Brandt :one thing I wanted to ask you about because it meant I was reading your bio, I was doing my cyber stalking, which is very important for for these interviews. You talked about recruiting new riders, do you think there's an opportunity in some ways this year to recruit new riders because there's no minimum because there's no registration fee. It's kind of like if you want to give the PMC a try this is the year like that at least see what the community is about.
Paul Kennedy :It is and that's our next push this month coming in after the holidays to make an appeal to folks that you can still ride. I've always found that in fundraising actually while so it's a year long event that two to three weeks prior to the Pan-Mass Challenge weekend Pan-Mass weekend, that's where everyone they see that you're doing this amazing ride. There's so impressed the fact that you're doing it again or that you're doing it at all. And that three week period is a very important way. And most just after the holidays, send out the email to folks to say, no minimums, love you to participate and, and contribute. It's very easy to do set up a Facebook page, here's how you do that. Set up your, your profile page, very easy to do that as well. And just, I mean, if it's if it raises another three $400 so what you know, it's, it's, it's funds to go towards a great cause with the Pan-Mass Challenge. So that's what we're going to do as well try to leave that
Unknown Speaker :all with our volunteer groups in particular, you know, they a lot of them have come to us the pizza crew in Bourne was is one of them that reached out immediately and said, Hey, we give you our time. That's our commitment to you. What can we do this year and we said if you want you know start a virtual team be virtual riders, you know, like Kristin said there's no registration fee to be a virtual rider, no fundraising commitment to be a virtual rider. Make a profile page, launch your Facebook fundraiser, right? If you bring in 50 bucks, great if you bring in 50,000 bucks, great. I didn't want to say that. But you know, it really is true. And we're seeing a lot of volunteers come over to be virtual riders. We're seeing a lot of people who have, you know, maybe they didn't, ride, maybe it's a wife, and whose husband has been the support person for that wife's ride. And now this year, he can sign up as a virtual too and they can split their fundraising or whatever they do. But we are I think our virtual rider number is up almost 30% between last year and this year, because it is awarding that opportunity to people plus teams are bringing in for their recruiting virtual riders this year for every reason you just said so yeah, you can still do it. You could and I think if you're a virtual rider and you raise $1,000, you you actually will get a PMC jersey as well, which is Pretty cool. If you're a rider but just chose to be virtual as opposed to a registered rider.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah, thanks for saying that because we're going to emphasize that as well. Yeah. Getting the jersey getting the Jersey is certainly a nice piece of all nine years. I'm looking forward to my 10th year as well.
Bill Alfano :Well, the women's jerseys just today is. Let's see, today's date is Thursday, June 25. And the women's jerseys came in as of yesterday. Men's jerseys are right behind so we've been sweating this one out, as you could probably guess. But the women's jerseys all arrive. They look great. We showed them today on a staff meeting. Men's jerseys should be hopefully within a week behind and those rider boxes that are scheduled to go out with jerseys, socks, water bottles, a beautiful bag from PwC and a bunch of other goodies is scheduled to go out starting as early as July 13. And hopefully everybody gets it More than a week before ride weekend itself. So we're very excited about what's going on for riders.
Paul Kennedy :That's great.
Kristin Brandt :So I was gonna say Paul is a longtime rider, and we're talking about ride, you know, recruiting new riders, what are some of the what's some advice about recruiting new riders maybe answering some of their concerns about safety? You know, because I know I get those questions a lot. And you know, I kind of want to say like, I've been riding for 25 years, I'm still here.
Paul Kennedy :Right? I first start with the ride itself, and it's a ride not a race. Many people call it a race. So it's think about if you're if you do work out like spinning, it's sort of a zone two zone three workout, you know, you can do that all day long. So get over that. I love that. Yeah. So it's, it's, it's a challenge for sure. It's a long, longest instance, you do have to train for it without a doubt. So we'll get them over that. And then focus on just how much fun it is, and that it is very safe. It's probably the safest ride that I that I take just because of all of the support that occurs on the on the course. So if if you ride defensively like we all should and you follow good protocol, you should have no problem it's I always find that it's it's often those people that are paying attention that may be taking risks out there, like any ride that might get into trouble. So it's a very safe ride. It's one that's hugely supported. And if you train for it, it's it's it's not as hard as you might think it is. But people can make it really hard if you try my first year that I did. I tried to keep up with the with the crew that was jamming our for four or five mile trip and I blew up and I said, Never again.
Kristin Brandt :That wasn't fun, right?
Paul Kennedy :That wasn't fun, right? So So stay within the limits, but it's and then and then I talked about the third thing I talked about is just how how much it resets me as a person in terms of all the, the, you know, the emotion and all those signs as you're going up the hill on day one Where you see all of those the kids and the patients? It's just it's just, you know, we all know it. We all see it. It's it's very emotional for sure.
Kristin Brandt :Yeah, I was gonna say just to bring it back to maybe a more personal note. I know you have two boys, they're 26 and 23 which means when you started they were 13 and 16. Right? Do the math right on that. That's right. Um, what do you think that they've gained watching you participate in the PMC?
Paul Kennedy :Yeah, they love it. It's uh, we always we always talk just before and just after the the ride and my younger son Ian, who's who's behind in their skiing. He was someone I think when he was 12 when I started the year and he always He always makes a comment, you know, another another PMC under the belt. He's not a cyclist. Unfortunately, he's a he's a climber and a hiker and a skier and I'm going to convince somebody to get my oldest son to to do it too but they they both love it. There. They're, they do their own their own things within community with with their charities on their own, but they certainly look up to me and what I do. And so it gives me a sense of pride also,
Kristin Brandt :I think that's awesome. I have two teenagers. And I do think that it, it makes a difference for them to see. They're also not like huge cyclists, which only kills me a little bit. But our daughter who's 15 is a virtual rider this year, because I, you know, I said it's no minimum and we'll do 30 miles, that's a good goal for you. And and if anything, I'm going in the opposite direction, you know where you're going 300 miles, I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna ride with her and I'm not missing the weekend, right? Like I it's, this is really a cool opportunity for us, but they do. I remember two years ago, when we lost our my father in law, my daughter said, well, you got to do the PMC more. I was like, you're right. Like this. Is it? So? Yeah, it's it. Those conversations are great.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah. I'm convinced I'll get them to go too much longer. Yes.
Kristin Brandt :Oh yeah, well, yours are much bigger. So
Bill Alfano :you as as Paul as a person, about your personal motivation and your, you know how cancers touched your life and how you keep that going as you train and ride.
Paul Kennedy :For me it goes all the way back to when I was a kid my one of my cousin's died of leukemia in 1970. He was a young hockey player with youth hockey here in the Braintree area. God that, that, you know, just it just sits with you like that, right? In terms of a loss like that, when you talk cancer and then an uncle who's whose passed, a mother just recently passed this year with complications from leukemia in January. She was a she was a huge, consistent supporter of the Pan-Mass Challenge, always, always donating and so we put her name in the in her obituary, we had a link to my PMC My PMC profile page. And amazing how generous people was were. We raised $12,000 in a week with her back. Yeah, so it's huge. So um, so yeah, cancers, cancers. All of us hits me as well. You can see it's very emotional about that many friends. So it's it's it's not a hard motivation to get behind with that. So we all have our our motivations, certainly and and now to be able to do that is something special to me.
Bill Alfano :Thank you.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah,
Bill Alfano :Paul, we touched a little bit about PwC and the overall sponsorship, which has been years and the huge role you play at sponsoring the Babson hub site. What is that sponsorship mean At PwC? How do you guys activate it? And you know, what's it like to be part of that volunteer and part of the PMC team at PwC with that big sponsorship that you guys really take over and run one of our hub sites for the weekend, which by the way, thank you.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah, thank you, Bill. We're quite proud of being a sponsor of the PMC and how we represent that is through our sponsorship of the Wellesley site at Babson and so we are the official site sponsor. We have a large presence of riders and volunteers on site. We're also a overall sponsor of of the Pan-Mass Challenge and we've been doing that for now. I think nine years of the 10 years that we've been involved the PMC nine of those years have been sponsorship. Our volunteers also participate throughout the weekend with not just Babson PMC but but throughout the throughout the entire weekend with the Friday kickoff and then through the through Sunday, although the PMC 2020 will be different. We do plan to be involved with that virtual sponsor spotlight opportunities to emphasize our support for the PMC. So along with this podcast, we'll also be doing an updated video with WBZ That will be aired just prior to Pan-Mass weekend
Bill Alfano :night before.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah, yeah, right before it and so we'll be, I think what we'll be doing for that is we'll have three of our folks myself, right, another writer and one of our volunteers for 30 seconds talking about what PMC means to us especially in this year and how it's different and why it's so important to continue to demonstrate why we're associated with with the Pan-Mass Challenge. It's a it's an amazing brand, for us as a firm and if you ask why we make the sponsorship why why I do this, go through all this effort. It's, we find that for us, it aligns very closely to our Price Waterhouse Coopers values which are to make an impact in society, in our communities, in business with our people solve, solve very important problems in society and and in business. And the brand of the Pan-Mass Challenge is just so strong. with with with what it stands for, and aligns very closely with our values as well. So for us, it's an, it's an it's an easy sponsorship for us to do. And so we're all in and we were going big with that my goal is the team captain is to, is to take this year from 2020, make it as good as we can with as much impact as we can, and then take that momentum into 2021 and beyond with with even bigger teams. So looking forward to that and continue to leverage our sponsorship.
Bill Alfano :We love
Unknown Speaker :all of that. And thank you. I mean, Billy, you've probably heard him say this over the years but without the addition of what used to be called the Greater Boston start, but the Wellesley start the Babson start the support behind it that you guys, obviously give us, you know, if the event itself would probably raise maybe only 50 60% of the money it raises now. So, you know, money directly to Dana-Farber, because of us being able to have a supported start in Wellesley has really been incredible for the for the funding, we've been able to pass through Dana-Farber, and then we'll take your values one step further. I think you might know this, Paul, but for those who don't our CFO Michele Sommer, she's a former PricewaterhouseCoopers partner. So, you know, we got we, we took her that value system that she worked on with you guys and brought her in and now she is the voice of reason at the PMC. The keep people like Billy and David, myself and other people like in line like, we are thankful Michele is there Yes. And thankful she was a partner at PwC because she brings that keen sense of value in what's right to everything. And it's, you know, it's wonderful. We get to work with her and it's funny talking to you, is a lot like talking to her. And I guess that comes it really does come through in your corporate culture.
Paul Kennedy :Yeah, that's great. We, we love it. I'm gonna be in with the PMC for many years I'm sure so looking forward to that as well.
Kristin Brandt :And as one who checks in at Wellesley, I have to say I really appreciate all the hard work because it's a great venue. It's very organized, you know where to be and I have so many things with the PwC logo on it. My favorite might be the saddle covers. And it
Paul Kennedy :they're awesome aren't they
Kristin Brandt :they're, I mean, I pulled them out of my because I keep them with me and you know, I'm like, oh, garbage bag. No, I have my PwC saddle cover. Very classy.
Bill Alfano :challenge your favorite item Megan and Paul from PwC have been working with Sarah at the PMC for this year's bag. It's a great bag you will like yeah, you know to new they've updated it and I don't know much about this but the materials supposedly great everyone's very excited about the PWC bag here so I guess Meghan's holding out on You too Paul but it will be in the rider box, the rider kit with the jersey and everything else. So it's pretty exciting.
Paul Kennedy :Cool. Worth than $100 donation on its own. Okay,
Bill Alfano :perfect. Yes. Thank you. That's perfect.
Kristin Brandt :Okay, Paul, thank you so much for coming on the podcast for everything you do as a rider, and a huge thank you to everybody at PwC for their contributions to the PMC.
Paul Kennedy :Thank you. Thank you, Kristen. Thank you, Bill. It's been a real pleasure and glad to participate. Look forward to seeing you out there in this reimagined PMC year.
Kristin Brandt :Okay, we're back. So this is quite the year to be taking over as the team captain
Bill Alfano :and try not to blame Paul for anything that's happened this year. No what a great guy though right?
Kristin Brandt :It's really interesting and I I've said it before, I'm sure I'll say it again. I love seeing all the creativity that's coming out of this new PMC reimagined, talking to other teams and teammates about kind of what they're going to do and how they're in many ways, embracing The hate the hate the term new normal, but the new normal Sure, um, this year you know not in how to make it special how to fundraise effectively how to recruit new people that maybe wouldn't have even thought to do it because they can be virtual riders. So, ya know, he was great.
Bill Alfano :He was great. And you know, from a personal standpoint, you know, talking about his mother and then on the corporate side, you know, PwC has really just been there for the PMC, which man i don't know if i how many times I must have missed mixed up those two during the podcast, but for years, and you know, as the Babson sponsor their corporate sponsor, they have a huge riding team there. They fundraise a bunch. And then their volunteer team is enormous. You know, they pack all the bags for Babson and they staff it there. It's great. It's really great to have them on board, everybody from John Farina and Meghan, who we work with and now Paul, it's Really, I'm very lucky, it's enjoyable to get to work with people like that.
Kristin Brandt :I think it's really cool when you see organizations like PwC do more than just throw money at an organization, right? Where they have the volunteers and they have the riders and it's so clearly part of who they are. And they throw that full weight of, you know, their whole organization behind it and really integrate it into their organization. It's really cool to see and, and I hope more businesses kind of jump on board and and do something similar.
Bill Alfano :I agree. I mean, I I talk about them almost as a model. You know, the other side of what I do is I'm the sponsorship guy, right for the PMC. And when potential sponsors big or small talk about what is almost like the quote unquote, perfect sponsorship. I do use the model of PwC and some of our other sponsors that are in it so many levels and it's not just about the size of the check Don't get me wrong, it's critical that we pass through 100%. But to have them involved at so many levels, it's special. It's really special. The whole being part of PMC itself, is special to see sponsors do more than just write a check and want to do more is it kind of says it all.
Kristin Brandt :Yeah. Anyway, well, thank you to him for coming on the show. I guess we will wrap this one up. I should say that if you missed it, the PMC did have a webinar recently about the plans for the PMC Yes.
Bill Alfano :Turning reimagined into reality. Ooh, yeah, we thought we gave some sneak peeks of what you're going to see for the weekend itself. We talked about training, we talked about fundraising. It's about it's a little under an hour we had a special guest Lisa Hughes was a special guests as part of it as well. If you know if you have your any questions you want to know about It's a great, great one to watch.
Kristin Brandt :And if you missed it for some reason, you can go watch it now.
Bill Alfano :I'm assuming you were out on a ride. It's okay. Oh,
Kristin Brandt :yeah, I was definitely in fundraising or fundraising and riding and anyway, all right, well, let's wrap this up, too. For show notes, links, or to listen to any of the other podcasts you can visit pmc.org slash podcast.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah. And if you liked it, please share with your friends. I won't give you a number. This week. I've been playing with the numbers shared as many as you possibly can. And obviously you can find this anywhere you find your podcasts and thank you and remember, there's a lot riding on us.
Kristin Brandt :There's a lot riding on it.