Steve Mars has spent nearly two decades believing his cancer was behind him. Seventeen years after his first bout with lymphoma, it came back. Now, in the middle of a second fight, the Long Islander is doing something remarkable: leading a cycling event built to fund the very research that could help save his life.

Mars founded the Long Island chapter of the Empire State Ride, a charity cycling event benefiting cancer research, and this year he rode with a stake in the outcome that few founders ever have. His story adds a deeply personal weight to an event built entirely on the idea that ordinary people, moving together, can push cancer research forward.

The ride rolled out from downtown Oyster Bay on June 13, 2026, with cyclists gathering at 1 Shore Avenue before setting off on one of four routes. Riders could choose distances of 8, 25, 37, or 62 miles, a spread designed to welcome everyone from casual weekend cyclists to seasoned endurance riders.

More than 330 riders had registered ahead of the event, with organizers aiming for 500 total participants. The range of route options reflected the event's broader goal: making the ride accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of experience level, so the fundraising mission could reach further.

That mission has built real momentum. Over six years, the Empire State Ride Long Island has raised more than $600,000, with proceeds benefiting six Catholic Health Cancer Institutes on Long Island as well as Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. The funds support cancer research and care close to home, work that carries added meaning for a chapter founder currently navigating treatment himself.

Terry Bourgeois, who founded the Empire State Ride, framed the event as proof that individual effort adds up to something larger. "Your actions matter. Your actions are producing results and your actions are creating a better tomorrow," Bourgeois said.

For Mars, those words carry a particular resonance. A ride he built to support others has become, in this second fight, a source of support for himself, a reminder that the community he helped create is now riding alongside him.

The day wasn't only about miles logged. A free Health and Wellness Street Fair greeted riders at the finish line, giving families and finishers a chance to browse local health resources and unwind together after the ride. Oyster Bay Brewery partnered with the event as well, offering finishers 21 and over a place to celebrate the day's effort.

Those closing touches, a street fair full of neighbors and a cold drink waiting at the finish, gave the event the feel of a true community gathering rather than just an athletic fundraiser. For a ride rooted in one man's personal fight, that sense of togetherness may be the point.

As Steve Mars continues his second battle with lymphoma, the ride he built keeps growing, both in dollars raised and in the number of Long Islanders willing to show up for it. Six years and more than $600,000 later, the Empire State Ride Long Island has become proof of Bourgeois's message in action: that the actions of hundreds of riders, pedaling from a single starting point in Oyster Bay, really can add up to a better tomorrow.