Downturn Slows Elite Charity Events

Interest in the Pan-Mass Challenge has exploded in recent years, boosting contributions from just $12.5 million in 2000 to $35 million last year. But the bar for entry has also increased over time, from a $3,600 fund-raising minimum in 2007 to $4,200 this year.

In a recent e-mail to past riders, founder Billy Starr tried to rally the troops and acknowledge their economic concerns.