Featured team:

Team Tops Friendly Markets

Why do you participate in the Ride?

We participate to raise money to help find a cure for cancer.  So many of our family members, coworkers and friends have been touched by cancer that we feel compelled to do what we can in whatever way possible.  Since our philanthropic mission revolves around being neighbors helping neighbors, we believe this is a great way to show support of our community in need.

Team Tops Friendly Markets rider pose for photo
Team Tops Friendly Markets group photo
Team Tops bike riders

What does leading a team mean to you?

Leading a team is a humbling experience. It’s helping to support those on our team in not only fundraising, but in whatever they may need in preparation for the ride and on ride day.  It’s not only being there for support, but also to help boast their accomplishments in fundraising and completing whatever course each member chooses.  The comradery each year between riders always astounds us.  Usually, we have multiple members of our team on each course and it’s always nice to see how they band together and support each other.  We generally end up with “teams within the team” that ride together and compete to fundraise or donate the most.  It’s all in good fun and benefits a great cause so it’s a win, win for us!

what is your favorite part about ride weekend?

Our favorite part about ride weekend is the overall atmosphere.  We are generally on campus at UB at the food tents and there is always a palpable collective feeling of accomplishment and “neighborliness.”  It’s like one big happy family that day.  Everyone is there to for one single mission, to find a cure.  In whatever capacity they are in, whether volunteering, or riding or virtually fundraising they have worked together for one cause and it’s a truly inspirational feeling and you can feel it in the air that weekend.

Celebration of Hope crowd listens to speech