‘We’re changing lives this weekend’: The 29th year of Ride For Roswell is here [Video]

AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — One of the biggest summer events in Western New York is finally here! Ride For Roswell events are kicking off today, starting with the celebration of hope. On Saturday, a record-breaking 8,202 riders will hit the road across nine different routes. This year’s Ride For Roswell campaign raised $5.2 million.

One of the participants in this year’s ride is John Heimback Jr. He’s been a rider and volunteer over the last 20 years and is a two-time cancer survivor. 7 News met with John to talk to him about how important this weekend is and what it means to him to see the community continuously rally around the ride.

“I’ve been here for 20 years and how much this ride has grown. You know how small it was 20 years ago, so now a $6 million event this year right. It’s just amazing,” Heinback said. “It’s …