After a long 23-hour train ride, we arrived in New York City on Thursday night. We were met by a former rider, Sean Laude, who lead the team through the heart of the city to the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, our stay over. After unloading our bikes and bags, we were given some free time to explore the city. Some riders went out to Times Square. Some ate 1 dollar New York pizza, while others simply turned in early for the night. Two of the riders even got their picture taken with Matthew Broderick outside of the Imperial Theater! All in all, the first night in New York was a success.The next morning, we took the subway to the Damon Runyon Foundation Headquarters. The Damon Runyon Foundation is an organization that funds young scientists who have promising ideas in the field of cancer research. We listened to presentations on what research is currently being done. It's pretty safe to say that the whole team found it rewarding to hear how I4K money has benefited their scientists.After we left the Damon Runyon Foundation, several of us went to sightsee again. Some popular sights were the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the New York City Bull, and the 9/11 memorial. To top our day off, the NYC Illinois Alumni Club took us all out to dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. We enjoyed socializing with the alumni over a delicious meal.On behalf of the Illini 4000 for Cancer, we would like to give a special thanks to the city of New York, The Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Sean Laude, The Damon Runyon Foundation, and The NYC Illinois Alumni Club for making our stay in New York great!Tomorrow morning, 5/25, the 2013 Bike America Team will arrive in Central Park (108th St. NW entrance) to embark upon their 4000+ mile journey to San Francisco. If you are in the area, stop by and cheer them on! Next stop: North Brunswick, NJ!