Being a Rider in The Ride For Missing Children is a challenging, rewarding and humbling experience.

This event is not about a bike ride. You will be a part of the biggest unified team in our area. Here, you are a family.

You’ll be riding 2 x 2 as a unified team of bicyclists for 100 miles, escorted by the Erie County Sheriff’s Department and local law enforcement of the jurisdictions along our route. The Ride stops at schools along the way for educational rest stops. We engage with the students bringing our message of child safety and abduction prevention and there is often a presentation at each school. For others, we Ride by while the students cheers us on. Before the Ride we reach out to schools that may or may not be along the Ride route with educational and awareness programs. This way we reach hundreds of schools throughout the year, each year.

The bicycles are a tribute to Sara Ann Woods, who was walking her bike when she was abducted, and they are the vehicles we use to make our journey and carry our message along. They provide a visible means to spread our message about the plight of missing and exploited children, and the importance of child safety education. Our bicycles help us to communicate with those whom we ride by and to educate those that we visit.

Buffalo Ride For Missing Children Rider Commitments

  • Raise a minimum of $300 to support our prevention education programs. If you recruit a NEW rider, you both pledge only $250 each. Wonderful incentive prizes for pledges over $400 will be available this year! All pledges must be in by October 2nd .
  • To learn how to  set up your fundraising page on ImAthlete, click here:Create your Fundraising Page
  • Help NCMEC in our mission in promoting awareness of the plight of all missing and exploited children and the need for child safety and abduction prevention education.
  • Participate in, train for, and ride in the Ride for Missing Children at a pace of 15 – 17 mph (on the flats).
  • If you are “new” to the Ride for Missing Children, you must complete a minimum of 3 Orientation Rides to be certified to ride.The goal of the orientation rides is to learn how to ride together in a large group over a long distance at a uniform pace. All Riders are encouraged to make at least one ride so that we can train as a group. Endurance training should be done on the riders own time.
  • Orientation rides will resume in the Fall.  Please check back for more details.
    SAG Wagons
    SAG Wagons (“Supplies and Gear”) will be available to carry your gear along the Ride. At each rest stop the SAG Wagon crew will set up the food and beverage tables and have your gear bags ready for you.There is a vehicle available as part of our procession for Riders who are not able to maintain the Ride pace during a portion of the Ride. We strongly urge each Rider to properly train for the Ride.What to Pack for Ride Day
    You will have access to your gear at every stop!
  • Wear your Ride jersey as your outer layer
  • Wear padded cycling shorts/pants and cycling gloves
  • Extra layers of clothing, extra socks
  • Sunscreen
  • Rain Gear
  • Ibuprofen
  • Tissues
  • Chapstick
  • Any special dietary need
  • Bike Repair kit:- 2 spare tire tubes- Either 2 CO2 cartridges or an on-board tire pump- Two tire removal irons- Tire tube patch kit- Hexagon wrench set

This is a Rain or Shine Ride
The Ride for Missing Children is a rain or shine ride. We have thousands of school children waiting for us to visit them with our message of child safety. All Riders should be prepared for all kinds of weather on the day of the Ride. We encourage you to attend our orientation rides to experience the effects of rain on your bike and to learn to dress for any type of weather.