This business has a tendency to make us very cynical. There is a legendary story from back in the day, when a long-time communications director at an NBA team, after a long day of dealing with the media, was handed a basketball to get signed by a rising star. It was for a young fan battling a dreaded disease. She took the ball, listened to the person and quickly blurted out “They all have cancer!” and then went off to get the ball signed and returned from the star player. The person went on to a long and prosperous career and often touches on that regrettable moment when her long day got in the way of the big picture, losing sight of the fact for a brief moment that on our worst days we are in a business of impact, and that impact, in a positive way no matter how small or tedious, can spread like the pebble in a pond.
It is with that idea of impact that we gladly turn the stage over to my longtime friend and colleague Steve Mars. Steve and I worked together in the last century…first at what was then SportsChannel…and then in this century at Madison Square Garden…where he spent over 25 years on the marketing and partnerships side at MSG Network. These days Steve is spending a lot of time as Co-Chair for Empire State Ride, a 500+ mile bike ride from NYC to Niagara Falls that raises funds for cutting-edge cancer research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. It will be held again this year in July, and it is our pleasure to help Steve get the word out not just about the how, but the why. A great reminder of the impact each step can have beyond our selves.
For more on the ride click here.
For the donation link go here.
Take it away Steve.
How did the ride come about?
The Empire State Ride to End Cancer was the brainchild of Terry Bourgeois in 2014. As a volunteer, Terry saw the incredible advances in cancer research and clinical trials at Roswell Park and decided to develop a cycling event that would connect two major destinations and pass through every major city in New York State. The 560-mile cycling fundraiser would start and end at two iconic landmarks, the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls and would draw riders from across the world for this incredibly worthwhile cause. The real power that Terry saw was how every dollar raised was amplified by 13x through federal and private grants based on the incredible work going on at Roswell Park (the average matching grant has increased to 23x in 2024). To prove the concept Terry did the ride solo in 2014 and overcame many challenges to complete the seven-day journey.
People get hit up for donations all the time, what’s the value and the uniqueness you all have brought to this?
There is impressive research going on at all major cancer centers and the best news is the centers all collaborate so what’s developed at one research hospital is shared and the impact is worldwide. The biggest ah-ha moment is in the 23x matching grants Roswell Park receives as a result of the incredible work going on there. The 10th anniversary ride this summer will raise $2M to fund more than $46M in new research!In my nine years as a volunteer and ride participant I’ve seen life-saving advances like Immunotherapy which teaches the body’s own immune system to attack and kill the cancer cells. It’s less toxic than chemo and even saved the life of a friend, a non-smoker, diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and the FDA recently approved the brain cancer vaccine SurVaxM which gives hope to Glioblastoma patients battling the most aggressive form of brain cancer (something my friend from college didn’t have when he lost his battle a decade ago). Other break throughs in early diagnosis include an inexpensive and quick blood test currently in development called Response to Therapy that could become part of a survivor’s annual routine check-upwith their primary care physician.
You have a long career in the media side, what aspects of work come to something like this as an undertaking?
My career and life in sports and sports television/marketing gives me a competitive spirit and drive to win but the battle with cancer is not an easy one. I do lean on my background to push telling personal stories of why everyday people of all ages and abilities do the hard work to participate in the Empire State Ride (the NBC/Olympics model for sure). Everyone has a strong reason to make the journey and those personal stories drive press coverage and donations. The ride is a huge physical challenge to train for; to prepare your body to endure a full week riding a bicycle an average of 80 miles a day in all conditions with significant, long and steep climbs up to Albany, unpredictable weather and tent camping! Add to that learning about cycling nutrition, fundraising and taking a week off from life. But when you raise that bike over your head at Niagara Falls and look around and see all those smiling faces and see the outcome of the innovative cancer research trials we are funding it’s completely worth the effort. I’d like to add that many industry friends have generously donated in-kind media to support the cause – why not make use of your unsold avails and associate your brand with such a worthy cause?
What has been the biggest surprise since you began this annual journey?
I signed up for my first ride in 2016 as a one-off challenge to ride my bike across New York State, honor my mother who died from breast and lung cancer, my first cousin who had pancreatic cancer and many other family and friends impacted by this dreadful disease. Going in to the ride I wasn’t quite sure if I’d make it to the finish. I trained alone and had not done a ride of this magnitude. That first week I saw other riders, some of whom were still in treatment or had just completed their chemotherapy. A few decided to buy bikes — had not been on a bike in decades– and decided to do this ride. I watched these recent survivors climb mountains and smile at every pedal stroke. And I realized a few things. I could not complain—if they could do it I had to follow and keep my sore butt to myself. On the last day my sister texted me about 10 miles from the finish line to remind me our parents honeymooned at Niagara Falls. The emotional flood gates opened thinking about my parents being their 50 or so years early.
But the biggest surprise was on day one that first year when I realized this event was NOT a bike ride. Sure, bikes are the platform but this is an overwhelming team effort to change the state of cancer research for good.
Five years from now what do you want to be able to look back on and say that all this work has accomplished?
I’d like to schedule a group bike ride with all of the Empire State Ride alumni. I’d like that ride to be simply a ride for pleasure because we want to meet up for a ride and see old friends. Oh, and doctors and researchers have cracked the code and cancer is no more. So, my friends and family, my children and my children’s children will not have to fear those three little words “you have cancer” any more.
Enjoy the ride…and learn a little bit more along the way.
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