WORCESTER, Mass. - The Pan-Mass Challenge kicks off once again this weekend with a goal this year of raising $75 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. As of July, PMC has raised more than $1 billion for cancer research and treatment since it began.

The Pan-Mass Challenge is set to bring together nearly 7,000 riders and 3,500 volunteers in its milestone 45^th year.

PMC founder Billy Starr joined Spectrum News 1 to discuss the event and its impact.

What are you most proud of when you think of the Pan-Mass Challenge?

“All right. Well, that's a big question," Starr said. "Most proud of is probably that this event has become institutionalized, which doesn't happen because one guy wills it. So, it's the buy in and the commitment of the entire community of riders, volunteers, donors, sponsors, owners. I mean, this is a really big event with a really important mission. And given the track record of success and the importance that the money brings in our ability to deliver 100% of rider raised revenue to the Dana-Farber for the 18th consecutive year, I might add. It's just powerful, and as such, it represents a community of hope to the cancer community, which is global.”

Can you speak about the support you’ve gotten over the years from people here in Massachusetts?

“Well, that that you know, that came over time. But Massachusetts has always been the bedrock. As a scale, 80% of all riders come from Massachusetts, 10% from the other New England states, and 10% more from the about 45 states and another 6 to 10 countries. You know, when you're on a bike doing cross state, you know, you need a lot of cooperation and cooperation from public works. Police departments, fire departments, ambulance people, medical people. So, you know, it's a lot more complicated than a walking or running event… And as our route became much more solidified and refined in the last 15 years, people lining the road, no different than the marathon. But with the critical differences, one woman wrote to me a decade ago she said that you know in the Boston Marathon people line the road you and say you can do it. But in the PMC, people line the road, and they say thank you for riding. And that's all the difference in the world.”

And, as you say, you’ve been able to maintain the same mission you started with back in 1980?

“Our mission has never changed," Starr said. "We tweaked a few words, but our mission has never changed. We're using bikes to raise money and getting it where people want that money to go.”

The Pan-Mass Challenge will start in Sturbridge at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, with thousands of more riders starting in Wellesley at 6:45 a.m.