SALISBURY — Lakeville resident Rachel Marshall is preparing to ride across Massachusetts in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), an annual bike-a-thon that brings together more than 6,000 riders. But Marshall isn’t clipping in for the athletic pursuit or the accolades. She is riding for the second year to honor her late father, Jon Siegel, who died in February after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
“It’s really about the experience and being there for each other, showing up, philanthropy and the connections along the way,” Marshall said of the ride, which has grown over the past 50 years into one of the most successful athletic fundraisers.
Although the PMC will officially take place Aug. 1 and 2, a tradition known as "Day Zero" brings riders to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, creating an unofficial starting point for riders looking to go the extra mile. Started by Siegel and Team Huckleberry Captain, Dave, the tradition became known as riding "a true Pan-Mass." The Hucks, for short, in addition to several other teams, continue that legacy and will begin their 2026 ride in Stockbridge on July 31. With multiple routes and starting points, the event ultimately concludes on Cape Cod.
Marshall poses with her dad, Jon Siegel, on a bike at a block party in Massachusetts. They rode together on neighborhood trails, beginning a tradition of riding with and for each other.Provided
For decades, Marshall volunteered at the PMC, supporting her father and his team, making posters and welcoming riders at the finish line. Friends and family would ask whether she might ride herself someday.
“When Dad got diagnosed, I thought, ‘Well, I have to ride. I have to.’”
After Siegel’s diagnosis, the father-daughter duo — along with the Hucks — started and finished the ride together, taking an iconic post-ride photo with each lifting their bikes above their heads.
Rachel Marshall (right) and late father Jon Siegel, hoist their bikes in the air at the Provincetown Inn finish line on Cape Cod after riding in their first and only ride as a father-daughter duo in 2025. The ride marked Siegel's final PMC, and he rode tandem with his brother.Provided
“Before, it was just something that I was proud of my dad for doing,” Marshall said, describing her father as a positive and selfless person. “He was doing something that was part of his identity, part of who he was, and being in service to others.”
Marshall said the Hucks are more than a team. They’re a family, and they have supported her through the loss of her father. She recently biked to his grave with team member Ellen, whom she calls her “Huck mom.” When Marshall needed to buy and fit her first real road bike after Siegel’s diagnosis, members of the Hucks went with her.
“I had a village,” she said.
Last year, Marshall raised just over $19,000. Ahead of the 2026 ride, she has raised more than $23,000 toward a goal of $25,000. The PMC donates 100% of every rider-raised dollar to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and has raised more than $1 billion to date.
Marshall said the camaraderie and atmosphere surrounding the ride are uplifting.
“If you ever feel like you’re giving up on the world, go to a Pan-Mass event,” she smiled.
There’s a saying that the Huckleberry team lives by: “No Huck left behind.”
For Marshall, that mantra has taken on meaning far beyond the miles traveled by bike. It was the pull to ride alongside her father after his diagnosis, the support of the Hucks after his death, and the draw to continue pedaling after his death.
In addition to riding with her late father in the 2025 Pan-Mass Challenge, Marshall was a lifelong PMC volunteer. Pictured with father Jon Siegel (middle), Marshall historically volunteered at Mass Maritime in Bourne, Massachusetts, where she welcomed riders to the finish line. Her poster represents Team Huckleberry's mantra: 'No Huck Left Behind.'Provided
While reflecting on the challenges of caring for her father through glioblastoma, Marshall said she was grateful to be there for him after the care he had given her over the years.
When Marshall struggled with addiction, it was her father who discovered Mountainside Treatment Center in North Canaan, where she eventually found a place to rebuild her life.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my dad’s engagement, involvement and understanding of this disease,” she said.
After leaving Mountainside as a patient, Marshall later returned as an employee, taking on increasing responsibilities throughout her tenure.
When she eventually left Mountainside, Marshall saw an opportunity to support people in a different way. Inspired by the example her father set of showing up for others and serving his community, she founded The Rusted Rock, which provides personal support services focused on executive functioning, life transitions, recovery support, and navigating periods of feeling "stuck.
“I want people to understand that they can love themselves, and that life can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be a challenge to walk through it every day.”
Donations for Team Huckleberry can be made at http://profile.pmc.org/rs0242
