Archives
Questions &Answers
Jay Friedman is assistant director in the Office of Special Events and captain of this year's UB Spirit Team participating in the Ride for Roswell.
What is the Ride for Roswell?
The Ride for Roswell is a powerful community cycling event that started 12 years ago with a small group of dedicated cyclists, volunteers and a determined founder, Mitch Flynn, who wanted to make a difference in the fight against cancer. Flynn had a vision of families and cyclists of all ages riding for a common goal: to raise money for cancer research and patient care, and to share an inspirational experience. In 1996, Mitch and his committee of 10 volunteers organized the first Ride for Roswell, which was staged from UB's North Campus. These dedicated volunteers organized three different cycling routes throughout Western New York, and to their surprise 1,000 riders signed up and participated that first year, raising $102,000. Since then, the ride's numbers have increased at an amazing rate. Each year more volunteers give of their time and riders increase their philanthropic gifts. Last year, more than 700 volunteers and 3,200 riders participated, raising a record $1.2 million. This year the Ride will take place on Saturday, June 23. All routes will start and end at Baird Point on UB's North Campus.
Is this an event for the hard-core cyclist, or is there a place for the recreational rider?
Whether you're a casual bike rider or an experienced cyclist, the Ride for Roswell has four route options to choose from-ranging from family-friendly to challenging. There are rest stops along each of the courses and the most important thing is to finish; the time is not important.
UB has a long tradition of having a lot of participants in this race. Tell me about that.
Our UB community has a vital role to play in improving the quality of life throughout our region and beyond, and through our impact as a major public research university, we have the opportunity to enrich countless lives. The university has a long and rich history of public service and outreach in our region, and UB faculty, staff and students consistently play an active and important role in helping to guide the region toward a brighter future (visit http://www.buffalo.edu/ yourub for more information). In addition to the direct impact of our public service activities tied to the academic core, the university is committed to making the region a better place in which to live, work and study by taking part in projects and events that support vital resources throughout our community. Whether cleaning up our local parks or donating our time and money to help those less fortunate, we're proud of our ability to give back to the community. The Ride for Roswell is another outstanding example of how UB can partner with our community to make a meaningful difference in our Western New York region. In three short years we have grown from 50 riders to more than 150 last year and we expect to top that this year. This is a great way for faculty, staff and students to interact in a social environment and help raise funds for biomedical research.
Do you have any special plans for the UB Spirit Team?
One of the highlights of the day for the UB Spirit Team is a post-race party. This gives the entire UB team a chance to enjoy a post-race celebration that includes food, drink and plenty of stories about experiences on the course. In addition to being the largest group participating in the ride and raising more money than any other team, we also believe we have the best post-ride food!
How long have you been participating in the ride and what prompted you to ride in the first place?
I believe in UB and wanted to give back to the institution that has given me so much. As the assistant director for the Office of Special Events, I have coordinated the logistics of the race since the first ride 12 years ago. At the suggestion of President John Simpson, I organized the first university-wide team three years ago, which had more than 50 cyclists. A year later I decided to ride myself and completed the 33-mile course. Last year I had plans to ride the 60-mile loop, but was sidelined with a severe ankle injury suffered in May. I have been training since February and have plans to ride the 60-mile course this year.
How do members of the UB community sign up to join the UB Spirit Team?
It's easy. Just visit our UB Community Cares Web site at http://www.buffalo.edu/ ubcares.