Empire State Ride
Empire State Ride
Local bicyclists are raising money to help find a cure
Every year roughly 300 warriors gather to make an impact on the cancer research arena and support cutting edge therapies. Their objective: seven days of cycling across New York State to raise funds for cancer research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The ride starts in Staten Island and finishes north of us in Niagara Falls, where the riders are welcomed in by a plethora of loved ones, survivors, supporters and those currently battling this unrelenting disease. Ellicottville native Rick Jackson has been an avid warrior for this ride along with many others in our area. “I was told about the ride from Priscilla Snider at St. Paul’s Church. She saw I was a cyclist and told me about the ride; that was 4 years ago,” Jackson told me.
His loving wife, Glenda, is a breast cancer survivor. “That was a scary time in our lives. I lost my big Brother David to leukemia when he was 29 years old. He battled it for 3 years and passed away on April 16, 1991.” Jackson also lost his stepfather to cancer and his father had melanoma. “I have lost several friends from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida to different cancers.” (Writer’s note: There are so many friends within our community who are or have been fighting cancer, myself included.) “I do it for them all,” said Jackson, “hoping to one day put an end to this terrible disease!”
Jackson started riding in the event in 2019. “I was so nervous about trying to complete the ride. Not knowing what to expect when I got to Staten Island.” (Little did he know he was in for a pleasant surprise.) “When I arrived and started meeting the support folks, other riders and staff, it put me at ease. The next day we were off! The support was amazing! From the food, rest stops, mechanics, medical staff, camp set-up and take-down crew, and the coaching from a professional cycling coach each night at dinner.”
To Jackson, the big takeaway was meeting so many other riders who have been affected by cancer. “It’s kind of like a support group. As the ride goes on we become closer, hearing each other’s stories and hearing about loved ones who fought or are fighting for their lives.”
The race has helped support advances such as a therapeutic vaccine called SurVaxM designed to help patients with a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma. There is an exclusive clinical trial of a lung cancer vaccine called CIMAvax-EGF which was developed in collaboration with researchers in Cuba. Also, the development of an innovative personalized medicine that enables doctors to tailor treatment to each patient’s cancer experience. (Cited from the ESR website.)
“Being a part of the ESR is so huge. Every evening we hear from the doctors, nurses, and scientists who work for and at Roswell. The information passed along is amazing. For instance, I didn’t know there were so many types of breast cancer. I didn’t know there was a vaccine for brain cancer. And, to hear that every day some type of new cancer has been discovered, just blows me away.”
According to Jackson, once you do this ride, it becomes an every year challenge. The money they raise is helping so many people, not only here in the USA, but all over the world. If this is something that interests you, check out the ESR website at www.empirestateride.com. “For every dollar we raise, Roswell Alliance Foundation gets thirteen dollars,” explained Jackson. “Last year we did $1.7 million with 277 riders. Multiply that by 13.”
To raise money this year, Jackson is doing what we in Ellicottville do best: PLAN PARTIES! Hosted at Finnerty’s Tap Room in downtown Ellicottville this Saturday, June 18th starting at 3:00pm, you’ll find raffles, a silent auction, BBQ and live music, with proceeds going towards this year’s Empire State Ride.