She may be known professionally as the President of Gamut, but there’s so much more to Beverly English … and the Pan-Mass Challenge might be at the heart of it.
Beverly’s passion for the annual PMC event, where cyclists from all walks of life pedal with a purpose — to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute — is nothing short of inspiring. She embarked on her inaugural ride in 2016, opting for a one-day journey from Wellesley to Bourne, Massachusetts. Joined by her fellow riders in Team Kinetic Karma, Beverly became immersed in the PMC community’s spirit of camaraderie and philanthropy.
Adorning her jersey with ribbons of remembrance in support of friends and family touched by the disease, Beverly continues riding for those she loves. In 2022, she formed her own team in honor of her late father, aptly named Team Papa.
As the Pan-Mass Challenge approaches its monumental billion-dollar milestone for cancer research, Beverly is gearing up for a year of cycling, fundraising efforts, spectator cheering, and, of course, continuing to lead Gamut in its mission of game-changing communication systems.
What is the scope of your role as president of Gamut, and what does your day-to-day look like?
I am responsible for the technicians. I make sure they're scheduled, know who's in charge of the remote tech on-site, and that they're answering phone calls and looking at the service mailbox. That's my number one responsibility; if the guys don't have their plan for the day, they won't know where they're going or what they're doing.
As far as phone installs go, I make sure the proper paperwork is done — that all of the signatures are there, and the i's are dotted and t’s are crossed.
All of the documentation has to be up to date, and we have to communicate to the customer that we have all the documentation behind their order so that all of the user guides are ready when we’re on-site. Not everyone has the same phone, and sometimes, they’re using the app on their cell phone versus the app on their computer. I make sure everything is moving.
My husband, Brian, does the sales piece. He’s out there selling, and then he looks to me to implement it — to take whatever he has sold and work with the guys to get it scheduled.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk about all of your philanthropic work. What organizations do you work with and what initially inspired you to get involved?
I was 50 years old when I got involved in the Pan-Mass Challenge. Friends of ours were already doing it, and I really didn't pay attention to it at first. Then I went to the finish line and saw all these people crossing it and the joy they had in their faces. And I was like, “I want to do this.” Brian ended up getting me a bike for my 50th birthday, and I started training.
“People are out in their nightgowns and pajamas at five in the morning cheering you over the bridge. It’s just incredible. And I love that 100% of what we raise goes directly to Dana Farber.”
To think of riding 192 miles in two days is overwhelming, so I started with one day. But as soon as I finished, I thought, How can I sign up for next year? It's kind of an adrenaline thing, and then you see all these people on the side of the road — all of these cancer survivors holding up signs saying, “I'm here because of you.”
There are little kids handing out Twizzlers or lollipops or water. Musical families get together and play. There are these ladies I saw last year on the Bourne Bridge at around 4:45 in the morning, cheering with their pom poms. Later, all of a sudden, we saw them closer to the finish line doing the same thing. People are out in their nightgowns and pajamas at five in the morning cheering you over the bridge. It’s just incredible. And I love that 100% of what we raise goes directly to Dana Farber.
Can you tell me about the Pedal Partners?
A Pedal Partner is a child who is currently going through cancer treatments. As a team, you sponsor that child. On the very first day, going into Lakeville, there’s about a mile-long [stretch] with posters of their pictures and the team sponsoring them. I cry every time.
Then, in Lakeville, they have a huge tent. Any child who’s well enough goes there and the team usually stops to take a picture with them and say hi to the family. There’s pizza and crafts for them. The Pan-Mass puts on this whole thing for these kids; they feed them and have clowns and balloons.
This is the first year that Team Papa is official, and I've already put in that I want our team to adopt a Pedal Partner child.
Editor’s note: Team Papa has since adopted a Pedal Partner named Ayden, who was born with a rare genetic disorder called SCN (Severe Congenital Neutropenia), which renders him immunocompromised. After his last severe infection in 2022, his medical team determined it was time to risk a stem cell transplant. The procedure was successful and he’s still being closely monitored by his team at Dana Farber Jimmy Fund Clinic.
How did Team Papa come about?
I was on another team but they’re mostly on the North Shore. My dad passed almost two and a half years ago, so we decided to do Team Papa.
My niece and nephew joined, and we have so many more members on the team this year. So, I decided to make it official. I’m honoring my dad. He was my number one supporter. He would always be there at the finish line giving me a high five or a hug.
Tell us about your team and what your training looks like.
Our team is very close, and we have several training rides scheduled. You can [technically] do the event without training because in the past, I’ve been by myself and not trained properly. It’s hard, but you get through it because you keep thinking, Somebody else has cancer and they’re going through chemo. Their hurt helps you get up the hills and through the pain. But this past year, three or four of us trained faithfully. We pushed each other.
Having motivation as a team is important for training. On June 1, the team rode in an Alzheimer's Ride. We used it as a training ride while also giving back. Many of our team members have parents who have passed away and had Alzheimer's, so we're doing 100 miles.
What other events are you looking forward to this year?
We already had an event in February, and our third annual Corn Hole Tournament was on April 6. It’s a blast! I run that with my niece, Marissa.
We take the money from each event and split it between the team — whoever needs help raising — because $6,000 is a lot of money to raise per person!
The other thing we do every year is “Super Bowl Squares.” That brings in $1,000 for every person that does it. That’s done in January to get prepped for the Super Bowl in February.
Hopefully, with these events, everyone will be good on their donations. I’m also in with three insurance agencies; if you have their insurance and give a $50 donation, you get a percentage off of your policy. You can really save some money!
What is your absolute favorite part of these efforts?
My favorite part is the volunteers and spectators on the side of the road who are cheering us on. That's my ultimate favorite. They get you going along the route, but when you come into the rest stops to hydrate or use the bathroom, they're making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cutting up bananas for you. My favorite part is seeing all of them giving their dedication to help us so we can do the ride. Without them, the water, and the fuel for our bodies, there's no way we can make it.
“If you know anyone who has been touched by cancer, send your name and a donation in their name to help us out so we can continue to help Dana Farber find a cure.”
Can you tell us about your ribbons of remembrance?
I wear a ribbon on the back of my shirt for anyone who has cancer, has passed away from cancer, or has beat cancer. Originally, when I started out nine years ago, I wore certain ribbon colors for whatever type of cancer someone had and put their name on it. I would put all those ribbons on the back of my shirt individually. Twice! [I did it] once for day one, then again for day two, because you can't wear the same jersey on both days. It got to be too much.
Unfortunately, there were too many names on the back of my shirt. So, my sister made me a rainbow ribbon, and now I write the names on it.
How can we support your endeavors?
Everyone knows someone who has had cancer or passed away from it.
If you know anyone who has been touched by cancer, send your name and a donation in their name to help us out so we can continue to help Dana Farber find a cure.
Last year was going to be my last year; I was done because the fundraising is just so much. But one of our customers — right now, she's going through treatment. I’ve got to keep going. We also had a bunch of people join our team, which gives me motivation. We push each other to train during the year.
Would you like to support Beverly and Team Papa? Here’s how to donate for this year’s Pan-Mass Challenge!
Donation link: profile.pmc.org/BE0061
