After the COVID-19 pandemic halted the events for each of the last two years, officials with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NECMEC) say The Ride is returning to New York this spring, with events scheduled for 5 upstate cities.

The annual Ride for Missing and Exploited children had become a late spring staple in the Utica-area for many years, with all riders making the 100-mile in honor of a missing or deceased child.

This year, cyclists in Utica will being making the trip as the summer season ends, not as it's beginning - on Wednesday, September 28.

  • Rochester Ride, Friday May 20, 2022 
  • Buffalo Ride Friday June 3, 2022 
  • Albany Ride Friday September 23, 2022
  • Utica Ride, Wednesday September 28, 2022 
  • Syracuse Ride, Friday September 30, 2022 

Officials say the rides in Utica and Albany will follow the typical group-ride format, with stops planned at several schools along the route. Led by law enforcement, rider rest stops occur at local schools, where school-aged children receive abduction prevention and awareness information. There will also be 'ride-bys' for many more schools along the route.

Meanwhile, the events in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo will offer a new "spoke and hub” format which organizers explained will offer participants the opportunity to take the full 100-mile trek, or veer off to a shorter mileage route.

Registration for all five events is open. For more information on how to participate in the Ride for Missing Children in your area, visit missingkids.org/theride. To register for the Utica Ride, click here.

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