You might think it's really hard to cycle over 500 miles from New York City to Niagara Falls, but it's actually not.
Really hard is finding out that you or someone you care about has cancer. Really hard is making decisions about treatment. Really hard is dealing with the side effects of chemo, radiation, infusions, and surgery. Really hard is seeing the physical and emotional toll cancer takes on both the patient and their loved ones. Impossibly hard is saying good-bye to someone taken too soon by cancer.
But through all that pain hope can be found. Hope comes from revolutionary new treatments that improve quality of life and outcomes for cancer patients. Hope comes from medications that maybe can even prevent or cure cancer. But those kinds of revolutions can only happen through high-level research, and that research is in constant need of funding.
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Back at it!
Back in 2022, I participated in my first ever Empire State Ride to End Cancer. I joined some 120 or so other cyclists as we pedaled over 500 miles from New York City to Niagara Falls. It was a beautiful way to see New York State and I found a crew of riding buddies and friends that I love dearly. More importantly, we raised over $1 million for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo.
After a year hiatus, I'm going back for the 10th anniversary edition of ESR, in July 2024. You might think it's difficult to pedal all that way, day after day, through whatever the elements bring, but it's comparatively easy when you consider things that actually are really hard.
Really hard is finding out that you or someone you care about has cancer. Really hard is making decisions about treatment. Really hard is dealing with the side effects of chemo, radiation, infusions, and surgery. Really hard is seeing the physical and emotional toll cancer takes on both the patient and their loved ones. Impossibly hard is saying good-bye to someone taken too soon by cancer.
But through all that pain hope can be found. Hope comes from revolutionary new treatments that improve quality of life and outcomes for cancer patients. Hope comes from medications that maybe can even prevent or cure cancer. But those kinds of revolutions can only happen through high-level research, and that research is in constant need of funding. That's where you and I come in.
In 2022, I ended up raising over $12,000, far exceeding my $5,000 goal. This time, I'm raising my goal modestly, but I hope to go well over it once again. Though my blog, I will share updates with you about my preparations as well as stories of the people the "why"s who motivate me to do this again. I will train my body and mind in preparation for long days in the saddle and short nights sleeping in tents along the way. I'll need your generous support both spiritual and financial to make it. As I did last time, I will add the names of people in whose honor or memory you make your donation to my Wall of Honor, with the hope that someday such a thing won't be necessary.
by Harry Marenstein on Wed, Nov 01, 2023 @ 10:53 PM
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