Riding Bikes & Saving Lives
Riding Bikes & Saving Lives
Ellicottville Resident Prepares for 5th Empire State Ride; Fundraiser at Madigan’s
I believe that greatness can be measured in many ways. In humans, greatness can be measured by the extent of their positive outreach to others. This could be anything from catching a fly ball and giving it to a child, or lending the other half of your sandwich to your buddy who forgot his lunch at home; even just striking up a conversation with a stranger who looks like they could use some company during a social.
Conscious efforts to make other people’s lives just a little better make someone pretty great, even if the reach is small or interpersonal. There are, however, a select few individuals who hugely extend their greatness and critically change the lives of people on a potentially global scale: Meet Rick Jackson.
Rick Jackson is an Ellicottville local and real estate associate broker with Howard Hanna WNY. Rick is a 4-time Empire State Ride finisher and as he gears up to make it five this year, Rick hopes to gauge support through his pre-ride benefit being planned for May 25th at Madigan’s.
The Empire State Ride is a research benefit event powered by the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation. It’s a bike ride from Staten Island to Niagara Falls. It takes seven whole days, over 500 miles, and ranges 18,000 feet in elevation. This gives people the opportunity to raise money for the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center located in Buffalo, NY. The foundation gives those wanting to raise money for the institution’s research a platform to do so. “My understanding is, research is not funded by insurance,” said Rick.
The Empire State Ride is a benefit through this foundation, where its funds will directly contribute to cancer research, existing treatment comfort, and overall support for those undergoing treatment and their families. “This ride helps raise those funds. For every dollar we raise, Roswell gets $23,” added Rick. His greater goal is to raise $10 MILLION dollars in ten years!
To help reach his $10,000 goal this year, which will equate to $320,000 using Roswell’s conversion, Rick is hosting a pre-ride benefit at Madigan’s in Ellicottville. The event on May 25th will run from 2:00-4:00pm. In true Madigan’s fashion, the event will be tons of fun and loaded with prizes to win. Namely, guests can donate via a basket raffle, 50/50, and silent auction. “The baskets will be made up of donations from some of our favorite locally-owned Ellicottville businesses,” said Rick. “We are grateful for the support these businesses provide to the cause year after year.”
The big stars of the show are the silent auction prizes. Skis, boots and other snowsports equipment will be up for grabs, and we all know that feeling of stumbling across some gear in the off-season for a crazy-good price! The coolest prize, however, comes from Rick himself. “I have several autographed Bills jerseys,” he told ellicottvilleNOW proudly.
After the fundraising event, Rick will continue to physically train for his week-long ride which will start on July 20th in Staten Island and end on July 27th in Niagara Falls. It is a 500+ mile bike ride after all. “My training consists of a lot of riding and workouts. We have a professional cycling coach who rides and trains with us as well,” said Rick.
It sounds too hard for me, but for Rick, he has experienced much harder. He is nothing but motivated and determined to make year five the most meaningful one yet, this time, for his stepdaughter.
“My personal experience with cancer started when my big brother, David was diagnosed with Leukemia. After a three-year battle, he passed away at 29,” said Rick. Terribly, this wasn’t the only encounter for Rick. He currently has a father and multiple siblings fighting melanoma, as well as a daughter and wife fighting breast cancer, for a second time in the case of his wife.
It goes without saying that everybody is affected by cancer in some way. Either through your own battle or through witnessing the battle of a loved one. Rick finds himself in an incomprehensible situation, drowning in the disease’s tyranny.
However, Rick’s commitment to fundraising and his faith in the world-class research over at Roswell shows his great success in staying afloat. “I’m riding for my stepdaughter who is fighting breast cancer, and now my wife as she battles round two of breast cancer, and everyone who is fighting this disease,” Rick wrote on his fundraising website.
If you want to support Rick Jackson in his 2024 Empire State Ride, check out his event on Saturday, May 25th. If you can’t make it, you can still donate via empirestateride.com (search Richard Jackson), or by mailing a donation to Rick at PO box 35, Great Valley, NY 14741. “I just want to thank all the businesses who give so much to these events. I know they get so many requests. But they always give. It's a great group of friends and business owners we have here,” Rick said.
Cancer is terrifying, unknown, and emotionally draining. Our hearts go out to Rick and his family during this time. We wish those fighting all the strength in the world, and Rick the best of luck in his pursuit for progress.