Twenty-five years ago, a Miller Place man was told he had three years to live - but Chris Pendergast continues to defy the odds.

He is spending whatever time he has left fighting to raise awareness, and money, to find a cure for ALS. 

News 12 Long Island's Elizabeth Hashagen and photojournalist Brian Jingeleski went along for the 21st annual Ride For Life.

The ride has inspired patients, the public and especially students. It demonstrates the importance of never giving up.

"What I would tell someone who was diagnosed there is still life after diagnosis. Try to be optimistic because the world of ALS is rapidly changing. Look to the future with hope and not with fear," says Pendergast.

Since the Ride for Life started 21 years ago, they have raised more than $7 million for research and patient care on Long Island.