Welcome to the Long Island Rough Riders team page for the 2024 Empire State Ride! We are taking on a seven-day cycling adventure to end cancer. 

Cancer is a disease that touches everyone, and we want to change the state of cancer research for good. You can help us make a difference by supporting our team’s efforts to fuel groundbreaking discoveries, find cancer cures and save lives. 

Please consider joining the Rough Riders even if you aren't from Long Island! You can ride one or up to all seven days with us! Or you can become a virtual rider and still join our team! Another way to help is make a donation to one or more of the Long Island Rough Riders team members today.

Among several breakthrough treatments in development is the brain cancer vaccine for Glioblastoma called SurVaxM, which recently received FDA approval: https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/fda-fast-tracks-mimivaxs-glioblastoma-vaccine-survaxm/

Advances in Car-T cell therapy which teaches the immune system to fight cancer: https://www.roswellpark.org/cancer-care/treatments/immunotherapy/cellular-therapies/car-t-cell-therapy

A new test developed at Roswell Park to diagnose blood cancers quickly and with much greater precision to help doctors determine the best course of treatment: https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk/202311/roswell-park-launches-advanced-high-speed-blood-cancer-test

And Kristen Dahlgren retiring from NBC News to fast track Breast Cancer vaccine with Roswell Park one of six top cancer centers to participate in development: https://www.today.com/video/inside-the-pink-eraser-project-s-breast-cancer-moonshot-project-203224645629

In 2008 I lost my mom to breast and lung cancer. She lived just four weeks after her diagnosis. Since then I lost my first cousin to pancreatic cancer, my father-in-law to colon cancer, my closest college friend to brain cancer and many other family and friends have been impacted by this dreaded disease. Everyone knows someone that will be touched by cancer.

There are too many people in my circle that are fighting or fought this disease. And riding my bike is what I can do to help raise awareness and funds for research in the fight against cancer. You can help me make a difference. I look forward to the day when the three dreaded words “You have cancer” will be just a memory. You can get more info on the incredible work being done at Roswell Park at https://empirestateride.com/why-we-ride/

No donation amount is too small. Every $1 we raise receives $23 in matching grants. If we hit our $2M fundraising goal this year we will fund $46M in cancer research. https://empirestateride.com/fundraising-now-goes-23-times-further/

All proceeds from the Empire State Ride go directly to fund promising cancer research initiatives and Roswell Park shares their research with major cancer centers across the U.S. so the impact is enormous. And Roswell Park's cancer care network is bringing these cutting-edge treatments to hospitals across New York State including six hospitals on Long Island: www.roswellpark.org/carenetwork

All proceeds from the Empire State Ride are managed by the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit foundation that is rated Four Stars (out of four) by Charity Navigator.

 Remember, to follow the journey from July 21st to July 28th on social media: #ESR24 #NYC2NF