Frequently asked questions.
General.
Ride for Roswell is taking place on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at the University at Buffalo North Campus.
Celebration of Hope is taking place on Friday, June 23, 2023, at the University at Buffalo North Campus.
There are two ways to ride! You can ride with us on Saturday, June 24 or you can Ride Your Own Way — any time, any distance, any location all summer! Learn more about the Ride here.
Registration.
Click the “register” button above. You will fill out a short registration form and receive a confirmation email upon completion.
For security reasons, our registration and fundraising system requires a unique email address for each participant. Therefore, if you’re registering kids or other riders without email accounts, you may need to create an email account, use your personal email, your work email or a spouse or relative’s email address.
There is no cost to participate in the 2023 Ride for Roswell. The Ride raises critically important funds for cancer research and patient care and your fundraising helps give hope to those facing cancer. We offer tools to help and you can even earn rewards for your fundraising efforts.
Yes! The Ride has route recommendations for everyone from beginners to advanced riders. You can bike as few as five miles. For suggested route options click here.
If you would like to change your route, you can contact the Ride and your request will be handled as soon as possible.
Yes. Children ages 1+ can participate in the Ride. They must wear a helmet.
Children under 12 months of age may not ride on a bicycle in New York State. Children ages 1 year – 17 years must ride with a family or team member aged 18 or older.
Logistics.
The Ride for Roswell offers nine total routes from 5 miles to 100 miles. Eight routes start and finish at the University at Buffalo North Campus. Routes go from Amherst through the Tonawandas to the Niagara River, and through Clarence – Akron – Genesee County. One 44-mile route starts at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, crosses the Peace Bridge and takes the Niagara Parkway in Canada to return to the US on the Rainbow Bridge to finish at the University at Buffalo’s North Campus.
Start times vary based on route distance with the earliest route leaving at 6:00 a.m. and the last route leaving at 10:20 a.m. Check out all routes and start times here.
With Ride Your Own Way, you can choose your date, location and distance, gather your friends and ride! If you need some help, we have a guide with step-by-step instructions on how to create your own route or you can choose to ride one of our suggested routes. You can find more information here.
Bicycles and pedal assist E bikes are welcome. Throttle assist bikes, are not approved for this event.
Yes! Bike rentals will be available through Unlimited Biking during Ride Weekend. Riders will pick up the bikes at the start line, and then drop them off with the on-site team at the finish line. No need to haul your rental to/from the ride! Learn more here.
Fundraising and donations.
Donations are nonrefundable and nontransferable. This includes if the event is cancelled, rescheduled or you can no longer participate for any other reason.
If you are riding the Canada route, there is a fundraising minimum of $750.
For all other routes, there is no registration fee or fundraising minimum this year! We know our community is still feeling the effects of the pandemic. We encourage all riders who can fundraise to continue to do so to support our mission to end cancer.
Check donations may be mailed to:
Roswell Park Alliance Foundation
PO Box 644
Buffalo, NY 14240-0644
Make sure the check is made out to “Ride for Roswell” and the rider’s name is listed in the memo field.
If you are mailing in multiple checks, please include this form with your checks.
Please allow 10 business days after receipt for mailed donations to be processed and posted to your fundraising page. Donations made online will processed and posted immediately.
Whether you work for a company that matches the money you raise, or if one of your donors works for a company that does, you can double your donations by doing the following:
Review our Matching Gifts page to see if your company participates in a matching gift program
- Pick up a Matching Gift form from your Human Resources Department
(or ask your donor to request one at their place of work) - Fill out the form completely
- Send it to the following address:
Ride for Roswell – Matching Gifts
Elm & Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263
If after contacting your Human Resources Department you still have a Matching Gift question, simply contact us and we will be happy to assist you.
Yes, you will need to call the Ride for Roswell line at 716-THE-RIDE (716-843-7433). Our team will get the funds moved over to the appropriate account.
Safety.
Yes! For your safety, all riders must wear a bicycling helmet throughout their ride.
Children under the age of 12 months are not allowed to participate in the Ride. This is keeping in line with New York State law.
Children over 12 months of age who cannot pedal their own bicycle may ride along with their 18+ years old partner in an approved child seat or bicycle trailer.
No. Dogs or other pets other than official service animals are not allowed at the Ride or on the routes.
Teams.
You only need two people to form a team. There is no limit to the size! The more people you recruit, the more you will raise.
Designate someone (or yourself) as the team captain. During the registration process, you’ll come to a step asking if you’d like to be an individual rider, create a new team or join an existing team. Just follow the directions to “Form a team.” Then let your teammates know the name of your team and how to spell your name, since they may have to search the system for your name to join. If you’re a team captain returning from last year, you’ll be able to bring back your team when you register.
When joining a team, be sure that your team captain is registered first and that you know the team name and/or the team captain’s name (and how to spell it). When registering select “Join a Team.” Find your team’s name and follow the prompts to complete registration.
Yes. From your Fundraising Dashboard you can change your team membership. Click on the profile button and then the Event Options button. From there you can “Change Team Membership,” enter the team name or captain’s first or last name and search. When the correct team name appears click on the Join Team button.
No! You can each ride however you like. Your team can even include volunteers.
Yes! Although we cannot currently accept general team donations online, your donors can make a check payable to Ride for Roswell and include a list of team members and their pledge amounts, so they may be properly credited. They can mail their check to the Ride office or drop off checks or cash pledges at the Ride office. Please note: if a donation is made to the team and not a rider it will not count towards the individual fundraising rewards of any rider.
Extra Mile Club.
The Extra Mile Club (EMC) is a select group for riders who raise $1,500 or more for the Ride. EMC members earn the following perks: an official EMC jersey, an official EMC hat and all rider rewards below $1,500.
Click here to learn more about the benefits of being in the Extra Mile Club.
This level begins at $2,500 and includes the following perks: an official EMC jersey, an official EMC hat, a Ride for Roswell quarter zip, eligibility to ride in the Peloton, all rider rewards below $2,500 and an invitation to the Pathways Park event.
Riders who raise more than $2,500 will have access to the EMC Silver tent, along with one guest.
When registering for the Ride, you should indicate when prompted that you are interested in the Peloton. If you have already registered but would like to be added to the Peloton list, please contact the Ride at RideforRoswell@roswellpark.org or (716) THE-RIDE (716-843-7433).
Volunteer.
Volunteers can sign up here.
Yes! You can recruit your family, friends and colleagues to volunteer at the Ride. When volunteer registration opens, you can sign up to volunteer together.
Yes, anyone age 14 or older is welcome to volunteer; however, individuals age 14 to 18 must volunteer alongside a parent or guardian. For safety reasons, we cannot allow volunteers under the age of 14.
As a volunteer, you and your guests are invited to the free Celebration of Hope, receive complimentary food and beverages at UB, get a volunteer T-shirt to wear proudly while volunteering and throughout the year and, most importantly, you’ll be making a difference in our community and a significant contribution to the fight against cancer. It is also possible to ride and volunteer. There are volunteer opportunities before and after the Ride.
For more information on volunteering, call the Ride office at (716) THE-RIDE (716-843-7433)
Corporate/Sponsorship.
The first step is to contact the Ride for Roswell by phone at 716-THE-RIDE (716-843-7433) or e-mail at RideForRoswell@roswellpark.org.
Each sponsorship level has a complete package of benefits ranging from marketing exposure to sampling and product display.
When you support the Ride for Roswell, you are partnering with Western New York’s most powerful fundraising event. More than 10,000 individuals are involved with the Ride and funds raised benefit the cancer patients and their families that turn to Roswell Park for hope each year.
Support from the Ride allows Roswell Park to accelerate new research focused on finding cures and provide support programs to assist patients throughout their cancer journeys. Click here to learn more.
Yes! Learn more about your options here.
New layout.
We have moved the event to a new location on the University at Buffalo’s North Campus. This new layout will allow more room for our participants and programming. To learn more and see a map of the layout, click here.
Please check back for more detailed parking information as we approach Ride Day. Signage and guest services will help you navigate campus upon arrival.
Yes. Riders will depart and return to the Hamilton Entrance to UB. Please check back for more detailed campus maps closer to the event date
Pre-event check-in is available Thursday, June 22 and Friday, June 23.
Check-in will be located outside near the start line. Further details about specific location and parking directions will be available in the coming months.
Canada routes.
The Canada Route is 44 miles, starting at Roswell Park’s downtown Buffalo campus and finishing at UB.
You should be comfortable riding the 44 miles at an average pace of 10-12 mph.
The Canada Route has a minimum fundraising requirement of at least $750 per rider.
Secure border crossing documents and prescreening are required. Here’s a reminder of what you will need with you on Ride Day:
- The travel ID document you submitted data for (Passport, NEXUS card, etc.)
- Travel ID number
- Also, you may be asked to provide:
- Date of birth
- Phone number
- For more information on travel to Canada see – https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html
- For more information on travel to the United States see – https://www.cbp.gov/
Connect with us!
Contact.
Office address.
Elm and Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263
Phone number.
716-THE-RIDE
(716-843-7433)
Office address.
Elm and Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263
Buffalo, NY 14263
Phone number.
716-THE-RIDE
(716-843-7433)
Join our mailing list.
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