BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — What started as an idea among a group of good friends and Bills fans, turned into a cross-country journey as three cyclists set out to ride hundreds of miles to raise awareness about mental health.
While their goal is to make a difference in the lives of others, they said the people they’ve met along the way have done just the same for them.
Founding cyclists of the ‘D6 Raptor Ride’ arrived in Orchard Park Thursday, one pedal closer to completing a 665-mile journey from Chicago to Rochester aimed at making a difference.
“Mental health has unfortunately taken a toll on our family, same with Billy and Micah’s as well, so it’s something that resonates with us, something we wanted to get out in front of,” Co-founder Rory Camardello said.
The ride supports ‘Market Love,’ a foundation the riders are building to uplift the community through acts of kindness, and ‘Mission 34,’ a nonprofit focused on eliminating the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“It represents a different type of tough,” Camardello said. “Toughness being talking about emotions, talking about your mental state. If you need help, ask for it, help other people out.”
The group stopped in different towns across the country, connecting with strangers, sharing stories, and offering support for those they met along the way.
“We thought, let’s do it with the Bills theme, because at least when we walk in, we can talk about football, we have the Bills bus,” Co-founder Billy Dolan said, explaining that their original concept was ‘7 rides and 7 tailgates for a mental health touchdown’. “But what was really cool was after the first bar, it wasn’t even about the Bills. It was just about mental health.”
“They’re starting conversations and they’re making a difference by just simply being there,” Ryan Stang, a friend of the rider’s said. “If that’s the thing that’s going to bring it out into the open and allow somebody to express themselves and get what their feelings out, that’s what it’s all about.”
The ride has already brought in nearly $400,000 from over 600 donors and 20 different businesses.
The riders say beyond the money raised, the journey itself has become a reminder of exactly why they started.
“Everyday, we do things so fast, just gotta get from point A to point B, and sometimes it’s okay to just breathe and sometimes just waking up is a win … when you actually get on a bike and go slow, not fast … people just come up to you, and there’s a lot, a lot of nice people and a lot of special people in this world,” Dolan said.
“It’s one pedal at a time,” Camardello said.
“Person to person interaction is so healthy for our society,” Co-founder Micah Krichinsky said. “Talk to people. Get out there. Talk to people you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Check in.”
The riders will be officially completing their journey Friday as they return home to Rochester. However, they are already making plans to do another ride next year. “The ride may end tomorrow but the mission is going to continue for a long time,” Dolan said.
To get involved, or support the D6 Raptor Ride’s efforts, click here.
Latest Local News
Angelica Gallagher is a Lancaster native who joined the News 4 team in 2025. See more of her work here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
