Empire State Ride (ESR) is a 500+ mile ride across New York State that raises funds for cancer research.
250 Empire State Ride (ESR) road warriors crossed the finish line in Niagara Falls, marking the end of a seven-day bicycling event with one mission: to end cancer. The 250 riders from across the country embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, from July 25 through August 1. Each rider commited to raising at least $3,500 ($1,000 for two-day riders) for cutting-edge research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center — America’s first cancer center dedicated to research.
Since its inaugural ride in 2014, ESR has raised more than $14 million for critical research and clinical trials. The 2026 event has added $2.4 million to that total, making it a record-breaking year in fundraising.
“Empire State Ride (ESR) has grown tremendously in the last 12 years, attracting riders from across the United States and around the world, while expanding the collective impact we make in the mission to end cancer. Every person involved has their own personal why for wanting to make a difference: Some have lost loved ones; others have survived their own journey; some just have big hearts. But one thing rings true for all: the desire to pave the way for the next generation of care and save lives. We’re making strides with every mile ridden and every dollar raised.”
Terry Bourgeois, Empire State Ride Founder
Paving the way for breakthroughs
Riders began their journey on Staten Island, New York City, traveled through some of the most scenic parts of New York State and ended at one of the natural wonders of the world: Niagara Falls. Along the way, cyclists had the option to ride the traditional Empire State Ride route or challenge themselves to additional bonus miles or a hillier, alternate route on select days for an added challenge.
Funds raised through the Empire State Ride enable Roswell Park to launch new research programs and advance some of its most promising initiatives, such as:
- A first-of-its-kind brain cancer immunotherapy, SurVaxM, which was first developed at Roswell Park more than a decade ago. It was granted Fast-Track Designation by the FDA in early 2024 and expanded orphan drug status designation for SurVaxM to broaden the vaccine’s use from adult glioblastoma to any malignant glioma in children or adults. Today, the phase 2B randomized SURVIVE trial is currently underway at Roswell Park and other centers, and SurVaxM is also being evaluated in early-phase studies of adult patients with multiple myeloma.
- With the opening of the new GMP Engineering and Cell Manufacturing Facility in 2024, Roswell Park is now poised to be a leader in cell therapy, a type of treatment that uses a patient’s own cells to fight cancer. Current cell therapy clinical trials are seeing an improvement in survival rates for patients with blood cancers. Thanks to the support of donor dollars through events like Empire State Ride, several clinical trials are now underway to study the use of CAR T-Cell therapy (a type of cell therapy) in solid tumors, including: small cell lung and prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and adult and pediatric sarcoma.
- The Roswell Park Liquid Biopsy, developed by Roswell Park’s Department of Pathology, has the power to detect trace amounts of cancer in blood and is now in phase II studies thanks to donor support. This has two exciting applications: monitoring how a patient is responding to cancer treatment and determining if a patient’s cancer has returned.
How it started & where it's going
ESR started as a personal challenge completed by event founder Terry Bourgeois in 2014 and has grown into a movement with a worldwide impact.
Learn more about ESR’s impact here.
You can get more information, register and donate to individual riders or the event at EmpireStateRide.com. Volunteer positions, including corporate teams opportunities and sponsorships are also available.
"As we begin this next chapter, I am excited to welcome Shawn Kleitz to our team. Shawn's experience, passion for philanthropy and commitment to advancing cancer research make him the ideal person to build upon Cindy's remarkable legacy and lead the Alliance Foundation into the future."