For the last 12 years, Los Altos residents Aram and June Darmanian have volunteered for the Pan-Mass Challenge, a bike-a-thon event in Massachusetts to raise money for cancer research.
This year, the event’s significance hits closer to home.
Aram was diagnosed in April with small cell prostate cancer, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. While previous years have focused on supporting others through fundraising, he and his family are hoping to benefit from the event this year.
“This year, in addition to raising funds to help everybody else, it’s more personal for me as well,” Aram said.
The Pan-Mass Challenge runs the weekend of Aug. 1 and 2 and involves the whole family, with daughter Leslie in her second year riding in the event, while their oldest daughter Justine started interning with the Pan-Mass Challenge in 2013 and is now the director of volunteer operations and kids rides. Leslie and several of her friends will direct funds they raise to cancer research that targets Aram’s type of cancer.
The Pan-Mass Challenge raises funds for cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Since starting in 1980, the event has raised approximately $1.125 billion and $78 million in 2025 alone, with 100% of every rider-raised dollar going directly to Dana-Farber, the organization said. Routes ranging from 25 to 177 miles are available to race for the thousands of riders who visit Massachusetts from the United States and around the world for the weekend, with the longest one, from Worcester to Provincetown, spanning two days.
For more information, see profile.pmc.org/LD0188
