Whether one can bike for 10, 25, or 62 miles, the Town of Oyster Bay encouraged Long Island residents to help fight cancer by joining the Empire State Ride Long Island to End Cancer on July 22.
On July 6, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino officially announced the event. It will mark the second year of a partnership between the Town and Empire State Ride.
Beginning at the Oyster Bay Post Office on Shore Avenue, the ride will feature three different courses — each one a different length, one at 10 miles, a second at 25 miles, and a third at 62 miles. Each course will span a different section of the town’s north shore, showcasing beautiful beaches, woodlands and historic destinations — including President Theodore Roosevelt’s home at Sagamore Hill.
“Just like President Roosevelt believed in a strenuous life and taking on life’s challenges, we too are coming together with so many wonderful people in the medical field and in bicycle racing to take on the challenge to end cancer and to work with these wonderful people to showcase our beautiful town,” Saladino said.
Saladino encouraged those who are unable to cycle to attend and cheer riders on. The event will also feature a street fair with food from local businesses as well as live music and various family activities — hosted in partnership with the Oyster Bay Main Street Association and the Oyster Bay East Norwich Chamber of Commerce.
Since it was founded in 2014, Empire State Ride has been raising money to help the future of cancer research and save lives through clinical trials. Over the last two years, the Empire State Ride has raised over $200,000 to support these efforts at Catholic Health hospitals and in partnership with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center through the Roswell Park Care Network.
Terry Bourgeois, founder of Empire State Ride, expressed the importance of the event and how it benefits cancer patients by providing them with new treatments.
“Together, we can make a difference in the lives of millions of people affected by cancer,” Bourgeois said. “Enable us to achieve our mission to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope.”
Dr. Ashish Sangal, Director of Thoracic Oncology and Clinical Research at the cancer institute at Good Samaritan Hospital participated in the event in 2022 and plans to ride again later this month. He spoke about the advancements being made at Good Samaritan Hospital as part of Catholic Health to provide the best care possible to cancer patients.
He said that utilizing opportunities to emphasize trials using more innovative molecular-based treatments, immunotherapies, diagnostics and more has given them a leading edge in cancer care. Catholic Health is able to help the community to enroll in studies and trials through its affiliation with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center — a designated center by the National Cancer Institute.
“Being involved in this Empire State Ride gives us more opportunities to give more awareness, but at the same time, also access to research trials which we can then provide in saving lives and improving outcomes,” Sangal said.
One of Sangal’s former patients Michael Seecharan, a survivor of lung cancer, was in attendance at the announcement, and thanked Sangal for saving his life.
“The mere fact that I am standing here today after being diagnosed with lung cancer is proof that treatment works,” Seecharan said.
