Close

Recent Stories

Read More Stories

Search Empire State Ride

Tag: niagara falls

Join us at the finish line, brought to you by Destination Niagara USA

Posted on by Jackie Roberts McDonough

In partnership with

The All Things Travel blog is sponsored by Destination Niagara USA

Saturday, July 29 @ 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Watching 300 Empire State Ride cyclists cross the finish line on Old Falls Street is an experience unlike any other. In that moment, the road warriors will achieve their goal of riding 500+ miles across New York State while raising essential funds for cancer research. You can be a part of the unforgettable moment!

Join us in celebrating the ESR road warriors’ accomplishment by cheering them on at the finish line!

There will be food trucks, live music and programming to honor the road warriors and congratulate them on completing their seven-day adventure. All ESR road warriors will cross the finish line around 4 p.m.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Food trucks, including Dirty Bird Chicken N’ Waffles
  • Live music
  • Programming on the riders’ impact
  • Opportunity to purchase ESR gear
  • Awesome signs and plenty of cheering
  • Smiles as hundreds of road warriors embrace that finish line feeling
  • New this year: The Falls will be illuminated in the ESR colors, blue and orange, from 10 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.

What to bring:

  • Enthusiasm
  • Inspiration and willingness to create a sign
  • Spending money and appropriate gear for the weather
This is a photo of an ESR rider at the finish line, holding a sign.

Parking:

Paid parking is available throughout the city.

Here, a rider is flexing at the finish line in his ESR jersey.

Enjoying Niagara Falls USA!

After cheering on the ESR road warriors, make the most of your trip by enjoying this bucket-list destination.

Niagara Falls USA offers:

View or download the Niagara Falls USA Travel Guide, or request a free printed guide delivered to you .

Visit the Niagara Falls USA website for travel planning information, or call 1-877 FALLS US to speak with a local expert.

“The best part of the whole thing? Seeing that finish line moment."

Caitlin Pietz

RSVP to the finish line celebration

Your $1 donation turns into $23 in cancer research funding

Posted on by Jackie Roberts McDonough

There are many powerful ways to support Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s goal of freeing our world from the fear, pain and loss due to cancer. One of those ways is riding in or donating to the Empire State Ride. That’s because the funds raised by ESR road warriors and donors each year are put to work immediately, fueling cutting-edge cancer research for cancer patients and their caregivers.

Roswell Park has the best and brightest researchers and doctors who have come from around the world to dedicate their life to studying and treating cancer. Donations to Roswell Park through the Empire State Ride enable breakthrough cancer discoveries and bring new treatments from the bench (lab) to the bedside (patients).

We’re proud to say that for every dollar donated to cancer research, Roswell Park is now able to leverage an additional $23 from external grants toward that research. This is thanks to the support of ESR and the hard work of Roswell Park researchers.

How cancer research funding works.

Cancer research requires a lot of work, resources and investment. With the great wealth of talent among Roswell Park’s researchers and scientists, there are a lot of promising ideas brewing. Many of these discoveries are only able to move forward with the support of donations. Each year, Roswell Park scientists apply and compete for grants from the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation through the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC process is led by Drs. Mukund Seshadri and Kirsten Moysich, who select an internal objective group of peers to sit on the committee based on expertise and areas of research. Reviewers are asked to thoroughly evaluate and consider the scientific promise of each application. The most promising grant applications are awarded with donor-raised funds to allow scientists to continue their cancer research. This seed money is used for researchers to obtain primary research data and, in turn, apply for larger national grants. The initiatives that receive support often lead to long-term funding from national organizations and new treatments.
This photo shows a researcher in a leukemia lab conducting cancer research.

Impact of fundraising at Roswell Park.

Since 2011, the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, with funds from the Empire State Ride and other related fundraisers, has awarded over $16 million to researchers through the Scientific Advisory Committee through 245 grants to 146 scientists. These grants have led to the publication of 167 papers, the start of at least 20 clinical trials based on homegrown science at Roswell Park and the investment of over $96 million in external grant funding. That means that for every dollar donated to cancer research, Roswell Park receives an additional $23 in external funding for cancer research. The dedication and commitment of riders, donors and volunteers is driving work in state-of-the-art labs that fuels discoveries that are changing the future of cancer.

Learn more about your impact

All Things Travel, brought to you by Destination Niagara USA

Posted on by Jackie Roberts McDonough

In partnership with

The All Things Travel blog is sponsored by Destination Niagara USA

Empire State Ride is an adventure unlike any other, and getting there and back shouldn’t be an added hill to climb! You may have questions about logistics, so we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know, including added fun after the finish line.

How Do I Travel with My Bike?

You’re not the first person to ask about this! The good news is you have some options if you want to travel with your bike.

  1. Ship your bike: You can ship your bike with Bike Flights. Campus WheelWorks can unpack and rebuild your bicycle, and we will transport it to Wagner College on July 21. Bike shipping is at your own expense.
  2. Take advantage of the bicycle shuttle truck: Another option for you is utilizing the bike truck, which takes shipped and local bikes from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center directly to the start line at Wagner College. More details are available in the ESR travel planner that is sent to you when you register.

What About Getting to and from Niagara Falls?

ESR road warriors come from all over the country. We know transportation can be a factor in your decision to join the adventure! Getting to and from Empire State Ride is your responsibility, but here are some suggestions to make it easier.

  1. Take the charter bus from Buffalo, NY. This bus leaves from Roswell Park on Saturday, July 22 and takes you to Wagner College. You’ll get there at around 3:30 p.m., in time for all the first-night activities! Cost is announced in the ESR travel planner.
    • Riders who are starting their trip from Buffalo are also welcome to drive and park their vehicles in the Roswell Park ramp for the week, free of charge.
    • Alternatively, riders can be dropped off at Wagner College or drive there and park their car for the week, free of charge.
    • ESR also offers a charter bus from Niagara Falls, NY, to Wagner College on July 30. Find further details in the ESR travel planner. 
  2. Prefer to fly? We encourage riders fly to Newark, LaGuardia or JFK airports in New York City, with ground transportation to Wagner College in time for orientation on Saturday, July 22.

If taking the train makes the most sense for you, you also have options! We recommend riders who prefer the train take Amtrack to Penn Station in New York City. Then, take the subway to the Staten Island Ferry. From there, they can ride a taxi or Uber/Lyft to Wagner College in time for orientation at Wagner College.

Extend your stay in Niagara Falls, NY!

Keep the adrenaline pumping and extend your stay on the other side of New York in Niagara Falls USA! Enjoy this bucket-list destination with the friends and family who cheered you on during your 500+ mile journey.

Niagara Falls USA offers:

View or download the Niagara Falls USA Travel Guide, or request a free printed guide delivered to you here.

Added benefits:

You can walk to the Falls from the finish line and from many of the downtown Niagara Falls hotels. You can also walk across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada if you have a passport or approved travel documents.

Pro tip:

If you are organizing a family weekend and want to choose another hotel, it’s a good idea to check your hotel’s proximity to the Falls on a map. Several hotels advertise the Falls, but may be further away and require a car or public transportation.

This is a photo of riders at the finish line in Niagara Falls after traveling from Wagner College in Staten Island.
This is a rider holding up his bike at the finish line in Niagara Falls after traveling 500+ miles for Empire State Ride

Visit the Niagara Falls USA website for travel planning information, or call 1-877 FALLS US to speak with a local expert.

If you’re already registered, check your travel planner for more information!

If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for?

Join the adventure

Camping at ESR

Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin-in Instagram

Proceeds directly benefit

Copyright 2023.
Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.