Friends,

It's hard to believe it's already the 8th year for team Valerie’s Victorious Velocipedists to hit the pavement and raise funds for cancer research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. For the past five years, Valerie has been with us in spirit, fighting the fight, and there’s still no cure in sight for so many other cancer warriors doing battle every day. So I ask for your help in supporting this amazing event that provides hope for future treatments and a cure at an institution our community is very lucky to have!

Valerie was diagnosed with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in November 2015. She endured more than 2 years of chemotherapy and also received radiation.  She lost her battle in July 2018, just weeks after the 2018 Ride, and we ride in her honor and memory. In addition to Valerie, we ride in memory of our team member Mylene and in honor of Julie and Chuck.

Last year our team raised over $57,000 for the Ride for Roswell, putting us at a lifetime team total of over $300,000! We were also honored for our lifetime fundraising of a quarter of a million dollars with a brick in Roswell's Pathways Park! That is because so many of YOU responded to our pleas and stepped up to the plate in support of, or in memory of, your friends and family members who have been affected by this insidious disease. We aim to reach our fundraising goal of $50,000 again this year with the support of you, our family and friends. If you're able, my challenge to you is to give 10% more than you gave to the Ride last year.

We are encouraged by the direction that Roswell has taken that is reflected in their name change to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Roswell, like other cancer centers, recognizes that there are many ways to strengthen and heal the body besides surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, including proper nutrition and stress reduction (through meditation, massage, acupuncture, and many other means), and are implementing programs to regularly provide these services to their patients. Curing cancer is the ultimate goal, but support for these programs that help facilitate overall wellness in patients is also critical. Funds from last year's Ride also supported the new hair and wig salon at the Center and the new CAR-T Immunotherapy that is saving the lives of patients with previously incurable cancers. 

Please consider making a donation to this year’s Ride and/or joining our team! If you don't have a bike or just don't want the hassle of transporting it to the event, no worries. You can rent a bike at the Ride, which is very simple.  

If you prefer to send a check, make it payable to “Ride for Roswell”, put my name in the memo line and mail it to Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, P.O. Box 644, Buffalo, NY 14240-0644. If you're interested in hearing how you can double your donation, please contact me directly.

Thank you for continuing to support our family and RPCCC in the fight to find a cure. 

Feel free to share this page!

Sincerely, 

Mark