Having seen an advert for Empire State Trip in Journey Bike owner Journal, Maritza determined to pivot and register for the weeklong bike experience to finish most cancers. This might be her manner of standing in solidarity along with her pal throughout her journey. So, she dedicated to the fundraising and coaching and efficiently made it by means of 500+ miles throughout New York State. On the 2023 end line, each buddies greeted Maritza with huge smiles as they waved the flag — one among them having fun with a newly clear invoice of well being.
“For the 2023 ESR occasion, they flew to Niagara Falls, and you may think about what it was like,” Maritza remembers. “I’m all the time like smiling and sunshine, however at that second once I noticed them, I used to be crying like a child. And it was an emotional however tremendous glad reminiscence as a result of she was there, and he or she was wholesome once more.”
Maritza describes her first Empire State Trip as unforgettable. It sparked a renewed sense of objective and which means inside her, the trigger changing into deeply private. The folks she met and the tales she heard throughout Empire State Trip have impressed her to take a good stronger stand towards most cancers.
“My pal was the primary person who I considered once I did ESR, however after that first 12 months, I’ve been assembly so many individuals, even in my household on either side: survivors and people who already left us,” she says. “Now Empire State Trip is a mission, and I plan to do it as typically as I can till I can’t do it anymore.”
Since her first experience in 2023, Maritza has been a vocal advocate for Empire State Trip, organizing community-based fundraisers and spreading the phrase to others eager about driving their bike throughout New York State. The truth is, Maritza has stepped up her dedication to the most cancers trigger in two main methods: first, by rising Group Borikén, and secondly, by committing to fundraising for Empire State Trip.
