John Heimback Jr. didn’t hesitate when asked about his passion for Ride for Roswell.
“What keeps me coming back is we’re not done.”
John is a two-time cancer survivor, and this summer he’ll be riding in his 19th Ride for Roswell.
John rode in his first Ride for Roswell in 2004. He joined his family team, the Rainbow Riders, in honor of his aunt who was a patient at Roswell Park battling multiple occurrences of tonsil cancer.
At the time, John had no idea the cause would soon become even more personal.
“Little did I know, just a short eight-to-nine months later, I would find out I had stage III thyroid cancer,” John explained. “So suddenly cancer hit home and in a big way.”
John’s treatment included radiation and surgery to remove his thyroid; then he returned to the Ride for a second year. “At the start line, they asked anybody who’s a survivor to raise their hands. That was the moment it all got really real,” he reflected.
Over the years, John got more involved in the Ride as both a participant and a volunteer. He even served on a steering committee in the event’s early days. He describes the Ride Community as a support group of sorts, with each person motivated to make a difference.
John has been in remission from thyroid cancer since 2005, but his second cancer diagnosis would come a decade later. This time, it was prostate cancer. Under the care of Roswell Park and Dr. Khurshid Guru, John survived. His own experience, yet again, adding more fuel to his fire in the mission to end cancer.
“Not only have I survived cancer twice, but now it’s two different cancers. Both were pretty aggressive, but I’m here to share my story,” said John. “God has blessed me to be in a spot where I have to carry on the fight.”
He wants more people facing a cancer diagnosis to benefit from up-and-coming treatments, the way he did, and he knows funding for research is what drives those lifesaving discoveries.
Fundraising can be intimidating, especially if you haven’t done it before. Over John’s nearly two decades of riding, he has learned personalization is key.
“What you find out is a lot of people have either had their own experience or family experience with cancer, and people want to help. It’s actually a lot easier than you realize as soon as you start putting yourself out there and letting them know about the cause.”
In his early years, John would write personalized letters to friends, family and colleagues about Ride for Roswell and his cancer story. Now, he says email is his main source for garnering donations, but he also thinks social media can be useful to riders.
His main piece of advice: “Remind people. Remind people. Remind people.”
John now rides on M&T Bank’s team, where he has been an employee for 23 years.
As John approaches his 19th Ride for Roswell, the weekend still holds tremendous power.
“When you’re there, the opening night, the Peloton, there’s really nothing like that.”
One of John’s most memorable Ride moments happened just last year, when he rode alongside his daughter Hailey in the 2022 Peloton.
“We held hands going across the finish line. It was just incredible.”
John will be back in 2023, and so will Hailey.
“When I go to the Ride it gives me that energy again. Like, this is why I have to keep going – because I’m able to,” John explained. “Each year, we’re getting one step closer to ending cancer.”
Elm and Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263
716-THE-RIDE
(716-843-7433)
716-THE-RIDE
(716-843-7433)
