BY BRENDAN KIRK | More than 100 cyclists from around the country will embark on a seven-day-long, 540-mile trek from Wagner College on Staten Island to Niagara Falls to raise money for cancer research. All proceeds from July 30–Aug. 5’s Empire State Ride will go to the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The Buffalo, NY-based Institute works to prevent future cancer and cure existing cancer, and is one of the first centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Matthew Strong, a Pratt Institute graduate and Lower East Side resident with a design studio in Lower Manhattan, will be joining the pack this year. His journey started with his support of a friend of his, Steve Mars, who had participated in the event prior. Then, after recently witnessing his wife win a four-month-long battle with skin cancer and also experiencing his best friend’s father-in-law lose his battle to pancreatic cancer, Strong decided it was time to do his part in the fight against the disease.
Originally from Appleton, NY, a town just outside Buffalo, Strong grew up familiar with Roswell Park. He is excited to reunite with family and says that this is a “big push” for him. The weekend-warrior often bikes 70-100 miles in a day, his lengthy rides bringing him into New Jersey and sometimes Connecticut. However, he has never done this consecutive days and is excited to test himself.
“Getting fresh air is a nice escape for me,” Strong said.
The first leg is approximately 57 miles long. Riders will take the Staten Island Ferry to South Ferry and work their way up the West Side of Manhattan along the Hudson River Greenway and Fort Washington Park Greenway, crossing the George Washington Bridge for the rest of the first leg to a campground near Stony Point. From there, participants will continue their trek north along the Hudson Valley until reaching Duanesburg on Day 3. After spending the night at another campground, the cyclists will then cut west into central New York State, well on their way to Niagara Falls.
Strong is anticipating his wife cheering him on as he cycles up Manhattan and also greeting him at the finish line in Niagara Falls. The first three days are what he looks forward to the most — they are the days with the most uphill riding, something Strong describes as a weak-point. The group’s Facebook page, however, serves as a strong support group and participants receive a lot of encouragement for the upcoming ride.
“Think of it as a bunch of 20 mile rides that you just string together in a day,” one rider said.
Organizers hope to raise more than a million dollars to help in the development and foundation of cancer research initiatives — which include advancing a research initiative to develop new therapies for ovarian cancer, and funding Roswell Park’s Center for Personalized Medicine, which develops and carries out genetic testing to enhance the treatment of cancer.
“By raising critically needed funds for research, our participants are influencing the future of cancer research and helping us take the next step toward creating a world without this disease,” said Bryan Sidorowicz, director of the event.
The Empire State Ride is open to riders of all levels and allows for the option of riding between one and seven days. It even suggests a short route for riders unable to ride the 70+ miles required for most days. To register or donate, log onto empirestateride.com.
