Introducing Orange DreamCycle – the Ride’s 25th Anniversary Ice Cream

2020 is a special year for the Ride and our friends at Tops Friendly Markets wanted to give our community a little something extra to celebrate our 25th anniversary. 

Introducing the Ride’s very own ice cream! 

Say Hello to ORange Dreamcycle

This light and refreshing treat bursts with a delicious orange flavor, which is perfect to enjoy as the weather begins to warm up. And the best part? A portion of all sales will go back to the Ride! So while you’re enjoying a scoop (or two!) of this dessert that’s made with no artificial flavors, no partially hydrogenated oils, and no high fructose corn syrup, you can feel great because you’re also giving back to cancer patients in Western New York.

“This is a very special year for the Ride for Roswell, so it’s just wonderful that Tops — which is such a great partner to us in so many ways — designed this ice cream to honor the Ride and its legacy while also supporting our mission.  I know I speak for everyone at Roswell Park and at the Ride when I express my gratitude for Tops’ continuing relationship with us and for helping ease the cancer journey for our patients while we continue our search for a cure,” says Candace S. Johnson, PhD, President and CEO, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Tops has been a longstanding Revolution sponsor for the Ride for Roswell and we can’t thank them enough for all they do for us. 

Pick up a carton of Orange DreamCycle at any local Tops location!

Cancer Never Stops, and Neither Does Tops

Every Buffalonian knows that Tops never stops giving us more. It’s a phrase every Western New Yorker has grown up hearing on the radio or seeing on TV. And since they’re one of the Ride’s Revolution sponsors, our community couldn’t agree more. 

Tops Friendly Markets came on board as an official Ride sponsor in 2014. What started as standard sponsorship quickly grew and evolved as the years progressed. Today, Tops comes to the Ride with a full team of do-gooders – employees stock the food tent and the rest stops, jump on their bikes and ride, fundraise and ensure all Ride Day volunteers are fed. And Tops’ vendors and employees make it all possible. 

How It all started

According to Kathy Allen, Senior Manager of Community Relations, Tops’ enthusiasm and dedication to the Ride start from the top, with Chairman and CEO Frank Curci and President and COO John Persons leading the charge. They embrace the cause and make sure the entire company is aware of how to participate – whether that’s riding, donating, volunteering or being a virtual rider. Their passion trickles down throughout the entire corporation, and, as a result, the Tops team sees quite the turnout.

Last year, more than 100 Tops employees came out to the University at Buffalo for the 2019 Ride for Roswell. It’s a real group effort but something that they all enjoy; this day is something they look forward to – from the executive committee to store cashiers and their friends and family, according to Courtney Mailhot, Community Relations Coordinator at Tops. 

Why does the cause matter so much? Because it’s something that everyone at Tops understands and can relate to.

“If you haven’t personally been affected by a loved one, then you probably have a co-worker or a neighbor who has,” Kathy said. “It’s a relatable event that everyone wants to try and help.

“People have that integrity with wanting to be involved with Roswell because they know that the dollars are well invested. The impact is not only on the local community, but even beyond that … You can really make a difference.”

To date, the Tops team has raised more than $260,000 for Roswell Park. Here’s what some of their employees have said about why the Ride matters to them.

Testimonials from the tops team

The COVID-19 Response Fund

We are living in a global event most of us could not have imagined even a few weeks ago. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented changes in all our lives, with profound upheavals in family, social, financial and work situations.

And not only is this pandemic affecting our most vulnerable including cancer patients – it has also changed the lives of those that care for them, our health care workers.

Hospitals are rapidly shifting to adapt to the evolving demands of caring for COVID-19 patients, and Roswell Park is no exception. 

Throughout the month of April, all Ride donations will go toward the Roswell Park COVID-19 Response Fund, which will be used immediately to help our patients and staff in four vital areas.

Medical Treatment & Research

Roswell Park researchers continue to work in close collaboration with cancer centers around the nation. Our researchers are already preparing projects to develop everything from assessment tools to treatments of patients impacted by a global pandemic like COVID-19. Research donations to Roswell’s COVID-19 Response fund will be earmarked for three research studies.

Patient Financial Assistance - The Angel Fund

There are times when patients and their families experience extraordinary financial challenges when diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment. The impact of COVID-19 makes that financial strain even more debilitating. The Angel Fund provides critical financial support for those we serve who find themselves in sudden and desperate financial circumstances during this pandemic.

Staff & Patient Support

While there is a self-isolation and work from home mandate from New York State, there are essential clinical staff and patients who have to come to Roswell Park. These individuals do not have a choice during this pandemic but here are several ways this fund seeks to support these individuals during this pandemic. Support of the COVID-19 Response Fund will help purchase:

  • iPads for patient communication with loved ones while visitors are limited during the pandemic.
  • Meals for frontline caregivers to provide dinner to their family after a long shift.
  • Massage chairs in the staff wellness rooms.
  • Health monitoring supplies to patients to utilize during telemedicine appointments.

MEdical Supplies

N95 masks are an invaluable line of defense for our staff against coronavirus. Support of the COVID-19 Response Fund will help Roswell Park purchase approved masks to quickly get them into the hands of our front line staff to keep them and our patients safe.

While we don’t know how long this current environment will last,

we do know there is an immediate need for help. Your support of Roswell Park’s COVID-19 Response Fund during  this new fight, right here at home, will be put to work immediately.

An Important Message from the Ride for Roswell

In these crazy times, it’s difficult not to get overwhelmed with all the constant changes and uncertainty of the future.

We get it because we feel it, too.

We want you to know that our team is working through whether the 2020 Ride for Roswell weekend will take place as it usually does. We are considering several options – the traditional Ride Day, a modified date or plan, or going completely virtual. This is a lot to consider – but know that we are working closely with top public health officials to make the right decision. The safety of our riders, our volunteers, our sponsors, Roswell Park staff and patients, and the Western New York community as a whole is our top priority.

We will have an official decision on May 1.

No matter what we decide, #RFR20 will take place in some way because our mission matters just as much as it ever has, if not more than ever before. The people we’ve spent the last 25 years riding for are some of the community’s most vulnerable during this global pandemic. They need us – to keep pushing, keep riding and keep raising funds.

They are depending on us. We won’t stop, and we know you won’t either.

Thank you for being on our side and joining us in our mission to end cancer.

Throughout the month of April,

all Ride donations will go toward the Roswell Park COVID-19 Response Fund, which will be used immediately to help our patients and staff in four vital areas:

Thank you again, for your support, your dedication and your passion. Together we will do what we do best –make a difference.

Be safe and healthy.

Your friends at Ride for Roswell