The annual Ride for Roswell hits 31 years this weekend in Buffalo.
Riders who have signed up will be riding their bikes between four miles and 100 miles for cancer research. They've been raising funds for months which will culminate on Saturday.
Before bikes take to the street, Friday evening there will be a Celebration of Hope at UB North. Andrea Gregory, director of Ride for Roswell, said it’s a meaningful tradition.
"We have our processional, where we have our doctors, our researchers, patients, survivors all come in, think of it kind of like Olympic style," said Gregory. "But each one carrying the flag in the color that represents the cancer that they are currently fighting, or maybe have fought."
The actual bike riding portion of this event will happen on Saturday, starting at 6 a.m. All proceeds raised will go directly back into cancer research and hospital care.
"These dollars are what we call unrestricted dollars, so it allows Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to put the dollars towards the things that are most pressing and most promising," Gregory said. "It helps the patients of today, there's quality of life programs that we help the current patients, and then we're also putting the funding towards research and clinical trials."
Last year, the ride raised $6.2 million across 7,000 participants. Gregory said this year they're aiming for a similar number.
