Dr. Joyce Ohm talks about going for $10 million for the 10th anniversary
Empire State Ride is on the cusp of something extraordinary: $10 million in 10 years.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Empire State Ride (ESR), and our goal is to reach a collective $10 million. Over the last decade, ESR has already played a significant role in redefining cancer care and paving the way for the next generation of treatments. But we can’t stop until we get everyone across the finish line.
Learn more about the incredible projects funded through ESR.
Meet Dr. Joyce Ohm
Joyce Ohm, Ph.D., has participated in five Empire State Ride events, and she sees the fundraising dollars at work every day. She serves as the chair of the Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“$10 million in 10 years is going to get us to new discoveries, new experiments, new drugs, new treatments, new cures for our patients that are going to help them move forward,” said Dr. Ohm.
She explained that while researchers have made tremendous progress in developing and implementing new therapies for many of the more common types of cancer, there are still complex, aggressive cases for all cancers and a wide range of rare tumors for which little progress has been made over the last 40 years.
“These include cancer types like pediatric sarcoma and pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Ohm. “Research is desperately needed in these areas to help us understand what makes these cancers unique, how they evade immune surveillance and how the tumors evolve and become resistant to therapy.”
Advances in those critical areas depend on research — and research is funded through donor dollars.
$1 to $23
Roswell Park has the best and brightest researchers and doctors who have come from around the world to dedicate their lives to studying and treating cancer. Donations to Roswell Park through ESR enable breakthrough cancer discoveries and bring new treatments from the bench (lab) to the bedside (patients).
In 2023, we proudly announced that for every dollar donated to cancer research, Roswell Park is now able to leverage an additional $23 from external grants.
“It’s not a magical match, but instead a lot of hard work, and none of it happens without events like the Empire State Ride,” said Dr. Ohm.
What’s Next
As an ESR road warrior, from the seat of your bike, you’re making a difference in cancer as we know it. Hitting the $10 million milestone in 2024 signifies our commitment to the mission to end cancer, as we ride in solidarity with and for the patients of today and tomorrow.
“While I can’t predict what the next big advance will be, it is likely to be due to advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular drivers of tumor initiation and evolution. Novel immunotherapy approaches like CAR T-Cell Therapy are expected to play a big role,” said Dr. Ohm. “This is how the Empire State Ride will have an impact on our patients for years and decades to come.”
