General Ride Information
This year the Ride is on Saturday September 19th 2026!
You can register any time up to and including the morning of the Ride, or until we reach Rider registration cap. If you plan to register at Ride, please keep in mind that there is a $200 fundraising requirement. If you plan to register on event day, plan to arrive at the park around 5:30am to have enough time to fully register and get ready for the event.
Ages between 10 and 13 on Ride Day: Required to ride on a tandem or trail-a-bike during the ride. The accompanying rider must be a guardian or the parent of the younger rider.
Ages between 14, 15 or 16 years on Ride Day: must have an adult on a bicycle within close proximity (visible) at all times on the day of the Ride.
Age Exceptions: Riders ages 10-12 years of age qualify to ride only on a tandem bicycle. Riders 13 years to 14 years may request an exception to this policy. Riders who are granted an exception will be judged on an individual basis regarding their miles to ride option prior to the Ride.
21 & Younger: May not be awarded any alcohol related prizes. 21 and under Riders can register throughout the year to Ride Day and have $100 required fundraising.
To apply online, please go to our google form to sign up! Link to Form
Online registration will provide information on all positions available and will require you to make a selection. If you would like to be placed in a position or aren’t sure where you would like to volunteer, please call the STAP office to talk with the Program Assistant or Development Program Coordinator or stop by the office and fill out a paper application with your availability. You will be notified by email what position, date, and time slot you have been placed in.
Please call the office and speak to the Program Assistant or Development Program Coordinator who will be able to see where a large group of volunteers are needed. Our office phone number is 607-272-4098
For the 2026 Ride, fundraising is $200 minimum for all 22yo+ riders.
Registration is FREE; however, we will be periodically checking in with riders who haven't fundraised in the summer to make sure they still plan on participating.
Riders who have not hit their fundraising goal by the day of the Ride must fill the remaining money owed on their fundraising ($200 for 22yo+ or $100 for 21yo or younger)
What does my fundraising money go towards?
Fundraising money goes towards STAP services that would not be covered by the stricter grant funding we receive for our services, it closes the gaps between the larger budget and the support needed to meet the needs of our clients. Donations ALWAYS stay locally in the Southern Tier of New York!
Yes! Please mail them or turn them into either our Binghamton (22 Riverside Dr., Binghamton NY 13905) or our Ithaca (314 W State Street, Ithaca NY 14850) offices. ARFL staff will record the “offline” money on your fundraising page (please allow for 1-2 business day turnaround). Please ensure that they write your name or include a note that they are donating towards your fundraising efforts with your full name included somewhere! We also confirm all checks received to Riders once we do get them.
“Southern Tier AIDS Program” Please write out the whole name instead of the acronym
Yes! However there are a few stipulations:
Team Captains must contact the Ride Coordinator or Program Assistant at the Ithaca Office (607-272-4098) by the first Friday in September.
Pooling teams must still raise an average $200 per person.
Pooling teams must not ABUSE pooling
Kayla Thomas, Development Program Coordinator (607-272-4098 x 316, kthomas@stapinc.org) or Hannah VanOstrand (607-272-4098 x 301)
ARFL staff will record the “offline” money on the fundraising page (please allow for 1-2 business day turnaround) and will contact both the Rider & Donor (provided that we have the donor information).
Donors: Please ensure that you write the name of the Rider or Team that your donating towards
Receipts: Unless otherwise instructed by the donor, letters used for tax purposes will
be sent out to all donors who send checks in, by the end of September after the Ride. Donations received online will be sent automated receipts that can be used for tax purpose
Sometimes you have extra items (coats, backpacks, clothing) that you don’t want to bring with you on your Ride. On the morning of Ride, there will be one hamper for Rider gear to be transported to the Cass Park finish line. Notecards or paper and sharpies will be provided to mark your gear so we can get it to you! In the event of a forecasted rainy ride, we will also have an area for Riders to leave dry clothes to send to the Seneca Falls lunch stop.
*The 2026 AIDS Ride for Life will only have a pile for gear to be transported to Cass Park, if you would like to leave gear at Stewart Park please find a secure location like a vehicle to store your items as our Stewart Park base of operations will close after all Riders depart for the day.
If you have lost a piece of gear, please call the office (607-272-4098) in the first few weeks after the Ride (the sooner the better). Staff will also contact Riders if they find any gear that is labeled for a Rider after the Ride. When in doubt, ALWAYS label your gear!
Lunch & Dinner options are the most diverse, with some Vegan and Gluten Free options.
If you have specific dietary restrictions do not hesitate to reach out to Kayla Thomas at kthomas@stapinc.org to make sure we can accommodate your needs!
Pitstop Food (each pitstop will have different foods)
Various Fruits
Granola Bars
Mini Bagels w/ peanut butter and jelly options
Cheese Sticks
Saltine Crackers
Cliff & Luna Bars
Hummus, Pita Bread, and Rice Cracker or Bread
Cheese and Crackers
Chocolate
Cookies
Stewart Park (starting line): Large Pavillion - 1 James L Gibbs Dr, Ithaca NY 14850
Genoa Historical Association: 920 NY-34B, King Ferry NY 13081
Frontenac Park: 15 Creamery Rd, Union Springs NY 13160
Verdi Signs: 526 State Route 31, Montezuma NY 13117
Seneca Falls: Seneca Falls Community Center - 35 Water Street, Seneca Falls NY 13148
Traders Village Self Storage (formerly Liquid State): 6128 NY-89, Romulus NY 14541
Trumansburg Farmers Market: 69 W Main St, Trumansburg NY 14886
Black Diamond Trail: Trailhead begins on Gorge Road, the BDT pitstop is located at the intersection of the trail and Garrett Road. See Cross Street Map of the Black Diamond Trail for more information.
Cass Park (finish line): Baseball Field Side, 701 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca NY 14850. Look for the finish line! If arriving by car, please pull into the parking lot near the baseball field.
E-bikes are welcome at the Ride for Life. However, to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for you and your fellow riders, please keep the following in mind:
If you plan to ride with an e-bike, please let the Ride Coordinator (kthomas@stapinc.org) know so that we have that information for event day. If you have questions about whether your bike is a good fit for the route, we are happy to connect you with Russ Traunstein, our resident route expert and committee member.
We are excited to see more riders using e-bikes as a way to participate, and we want to make sure everyone has the best Ride for Life experience possible
Kayla Thomas, Ride Coordinator - kthomas@stapinc.org
Hannah VanOstrand, STAP Program Assistant - hvanostrand@stapinc.org
Mary Kaminsky, STAP Director of Development - mkaminsky@stapinc.org
Ithaca STAP Office: 607-272-4098